Meet Laura

‘Hi! I’m Laura, a Senior Science Instructor at the S&A Academy. I achieved a 1st class honours degree in Biology in 2017 but had already started my first job as a laboratory assistant with One Scientific, who we now have several apprentices with, whilst I was still completing my degree. I quickly became a laboratory technician at the company, testing food for microbial content. I then went on to work in the laboratory of a Dairy, analysing the samples for nutritional, chemical and microbial content, as well as performing environmental monitoring. After this, I then moved on to become a Microbiology Analyst at Nestle where I verified the method for Legionella testing for the UK branch of Nestle alongside my other duties. It was here that I began to train new starters and noticed that not only did I have a knack for teaching, but I loved doing it too! During the pandemic, I made the decision that I needed to make a career change and pursue my love of teaching.

I started my role as an apprenticeship instructor in 2020, becoming an apprentice myself and achieving a distinction in my Learning and Skills Teacher Apprenticeship in 2023. Throughout my time as an instructor, I have supported 100+ apprentices in achieving their qualifications across multiple programmes through the development and delivery of programmes.

This is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had! Due to the nature of apprenticeships, the apprentices we have on programme are dedicated individuals who want to succeed as it provides them with an alternative route into a science career, without the need for specific grades or getting into debt! We have strong diversity across our learners, but all of them are inquisitive and have something interesting to share. Not a day goes by without one of them teaching me something new or making me laugh!

It’s always great as well to see a learner’s confidence grow and get that ‘thank you for your help!’ when they inevitably smash their End Point Assessment.’