Syngenta Apprentice Wins Kirklees College Apprentice of the Year Award

Kirklees College COLS Awards celebrate and recognise Outstanding Learner Success and not only did Shauna Moss win an award in her science studies, she was also recognised as the overall Kirklees College Apprentice of the Year, 2018.

Shauna joined Syngenta in September 2016 on a Science Apprenticeship, after studying A-Levels at Greenhead College. A graduate of Colne Valley High School, where she worked hard to get her 12 GCSE's, she went on to achieve three A-Levels in Chemistry, Psychology and also in Business Studies. She then decided that an apprenticeship was a more attractive pathway for her than University. But she is quite honest about it “I was thinking of doing psychology at University but when I saw the Syngenta stand at a careers fair and learned more about the opportunities here, I became really interested in exploring the science route.” 

Her passion and desire to succeed continued in her Apprenticeship studies at Kirklees College as she attained Double Distinction Star in her BTEC studies - the highest grade you can get.  She said, “The ‘Me’ leaving school and the ‘Me’ leaving college were two very different people. Going to Greenhead College before my apprenticeship with Syngenta was the right path for me. I think I would have found it difficult to do a Science Apprenticeship straight from GCSE level." 

The double Award winner told us how she helped fellow full-time science students at college with their learning because that helped her to learn aswell. Shauna enjoyed the Physics part of her course the most as this helped with her work in Syngenta. She said “The physics was really interesting because parts of the programme were also relvant to the work I do at Syngenta. We have to think about how the chemistry will work on production plants, not just in the laboratory. The chemistry at work is quite complex, compared to what I learn at college but the lab skills and bench chemistry was a terrific platform for building professionalism in my work.” In a display of maturity, Shauna remarked “You couldn’t just do one or the other, both physics and chemistry and also college studies and work fit well together – they are all important in developing my skill set.”

Shauna then went on to tell us about the people she works with, “I’ve been quite lucky with the people I work with, I really feel that I have their support in my learning. It might have been different if I hadn’t have had that because the apprenticeship I have is quite isolated from the other apprentices on site who study engineering and process manufacturing. Syngenta help you by giving you the support you need and by giving you time and resources to help with your course work. You appreciate that and grow up quite quickly”.

And advice to other people considering an apprenticeship? Shauna said; “Make time to look at all of your options for your future career and you don’t have to make your mind up too soon. An apprenticeship is rewarding and might just be the right choice”.