Laboratory Technician

Laboratory technicians work in support of scientists and others responsible for research and analysis. They can work in research and development, scientific analysis and investigation, education and manufacturing. Laboratory technicians provide general support to help the laboratory to function, and perform such tasks as sampling, testing, measuring and recording to support research work. They might prepare cultures or specimens, clean and sterilise equipment where necessary, carry out safety checks, and use computers to record data.

The work could involve supporting teachers and lecturers in schools, colleges or universities, supporting medical specialists in a hospital or healthcare environment, helping to develop new products or processes in industry, or checking products in the food, drink or pharmaceutical industries.

Entry level
You would normally need at least four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), including science, maths and English, or equivalent qualifications. Technicians often, however, have higher qualifications such as A levels/H grades, national or higher national diplomas/certificates, or even degrees in science subjects.

A new apprenticeship Laboratory Technician (Generic) is now available. It is also offered as an advanced apprenticeship. Contact SEMTA for further details.

Making the grade
Employers generally give science technicians on-the-job training. This often means working initially under the supervision of an experienced technician, and may include studying on a part-time basis for NVQs/SVQs in Laboratory Skills at Levels 2, 3 or 4. Training must be ongoing, because technicians need to keep up to date with developments in their field, learning new laboratory techniques and IT skills.

Personal qualities
As a science technician, you should have good practical and technical skills and must be able to work accurately and pay great attention to detail. You should have a methodical approach to your work, and you should be good at concentrating and doing repetitive work.

Looking ahead
There are around 15,000 science technicians working in the UK, and jobs are widely available. Possible employers would include government research laboratories and agencies, hospitals and public health laboratories, forensic science laboratories Research Council institutes, food, drink or pharmaceutical companies, and universities, colleges and schools.

Alternative suggestions
Other possibilities might include biochemist, biologist, biomedical scientist, chemist, dental technician, forensic scientist or pharmacy technician.

Take-home pay
Salaries vary between the private and public sectors. On average, you could expect to start earning between £10,000 and £20,000 as a science technician, rising to around £20,000 to £30,000. In some industries, salaries for experienced, competent technicians can be much higher than this.

Effects
Most laboratory technicians work 37 hours a week, 9am to 5pm. In an industrial setting, they may work shifts or nights. On-call work is expected in organisations providing a round-the-clock service, such as NHS laboratories.

Most laboratory technicians wear protective clothing, either to protect themselves or to prevent contamination of samples or equipment.

Sources of information
SEMTA: www.semta.org.uk
Institute of Biology: www.iob.org
Royal Society of Chemistry: www.rsc.org
Institute of Physics: www.iop.org
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry: www.abpi.org.uk
Association for Science Education: www.ase.org.uk
Biochemical Society: www.biochemistry.org
British Pharmacological Society: www.bps.ac.uk
Engineering Council UK: www.engc.org.uk
English Nature: www.english-nature.org.uk
Environment Agency: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Forensic Science Society: www.forensic-science-society.org.uk
Institute of Animal Technology: www.iat.org.uk
Institute of Biomedical Science: www.ibms.org
Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: www.ieem.org.uk
Institute of Food Science & Technology: www.ifst.org.uk
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining: www.iom3.org
Institute of Zoology: www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/ioz/
Physiological Society: www.physoc.org
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain: www.rpsgb.org.uk
Society for General Microbiology: www.sgm.ac.uk and www.biocareers.org.uk

CRCI: TD