Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading science and clinical research company that delivers technology, pharmaceutical and biotech services that are designed to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. They’re a global organisation, with a number of sites across the UK, including right here in Tayside.
Over recent months, Thermo Fisher’s Perth site has worked with Science Futures at the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) to deliver a number of placements for their HNC Bioscience students, designed to give real-life experience in the science sector. We spoke to Thermo Fisher Perth’s Lead Stability Scientist, Agata Lewicka, about the benefits of real-life lab experience and how working with the students has not only developed them but also enhanced her own skills.
Blending Theory With Practice
Having studied at UHI Perth and completed a work placement at Thermo Fisher herself, Agata was passionate about bringing placement students into the business. She knew from experience how much it helped her career and was keen to help shape the future by offering placements in partnership with Science Futures to the next generation of science professionals.
The work placements at Thermo Fisher last three to four months, during which the students work closely with Agata in the stability part of the business. In the first two months, the students learn documentation processes and all of the theoretical training required to work in the organisation’s labs. After this, the trainees start their practical work, using skills like aseptic technique, serial dilutions and microbiological performance testing.
The placements go beyond lab work as the students also get involved in team meetings and the company’s community. Thermo Fisher is a huge worldwide organisation, so for the students, it gives them their first taste of what life is like working in a major scientific business. The benefits for the students are therefore twofold – they get the scientific knowledge and skills from their work, alongside the experience of working in a fast-paced corporate environment that lets them see how the industry actually works.
Learning From Each Other
Agata says she’s been really impressed with the candidates she’s worked with. They’re motivated, enthusiastic and very grateful for the time she gives them. While many of them have come to her with little experience and low self-belief, it’s been rewarding for her to see their confidence grow and feel the impact that she’s having on their futures. For many, they may not get any other experience in a real lab environment, which could make it more difficult to find a job after completing their course. This experience makes scientific careers more approachable and understandable, allowing trainees to decide what pathway they want to pursue.
It’s not just the students who’ve seen their skills improve. For Agata, who mostly works alone due to the majority of her team being based in England, mentoring the students has built her skills in communication, listening and leadership. The students also bring a fresh perspective, asking questions that she hasn’t thought about before, which prompts her to research and learn more about the fast-moving industry.
Working with Science Futures
Agata says the process of working with Science Futures was very straightforward – communication was strong, it was well organised and they were supportive throughout. They regularly checked in with Agata throughout the placement to make sure everything was going smoothly, but they also gave her a lot of independence over the structure and content of the placements so that she could make sure it was relevant to the real experience of working at Thermo Fisher.
Agata would definitely recommend taking on a placement student with Science Futures. On a personal level, it was rewarding to contribute to the wider community and support young people by using the lessons she’s learned from her own career. The science sector can be behind closed doors so it’s been rewarding to open that up to the next generation. For Thermo Fisher, the placements inspire the next generation but also upskill the future workforce, nurturing emerging scientific talent and strengthening the local industry – while also tapping into talent who can assist with daily routine tasks and assist the team.
Summing the placements up in a sentence, Agata says it’s a “collaborative and impactful partnership that supports future scientific talent while enriching our workplace.”