Expanding biotechnology company, Ingenza Ltd, today welcomed Angela Constance MSP, Scottish Minister for Youth Employment to meet their growing Modern Apprentice team. Ingenza, based in Roslin, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, employed the first of their apprentices back in 2009.
Kirsty Glendinning (20), Ross Hepplewhite (20), Jonathan Selfridge (19) and Jack Kay (17) make up Ingenza’s youthful team of Modern Apprentices (MA). Each MA supports a different area of the business within Ingenza’s laboratories at the Roslin BioCentre. Ingenza provides efficient scalable bioprocesses to manufacture chemicals, biologics, pharmaceuticals and biofuels, from sustainable sources.
The MA scheme allows each individual the opportunity to attend college on day release to work towards achieving accreditation in Life Sciences. Kirsty, Ross and Jonathan have recently completed their HNC in Life Sciences which has allowed them to develop into Research Assistants at Ingenza. Jack joined the team in January so he will work towards the completion of his HNC in 2013.
Ingenza President, Dr. Ian Fotheringham explained how valuable the MA’s are to the team; “We are delighted to welcome Ms. Constance to Ingenza and demonstrate to her how employing apprentices has had a positive impact on our business. Our apprentices are now just as employable as University graduates due to the wealth of experience they have gained over the past few years and are integral members of their respective teams. I anticipate we will recruit more Modern Apprentices as the company grows.”
Angela Constance MSP shared her thoughts on Ingenza and their Modern Apprentices; “The Life Sciences sector in Scotland is vital for our economy as well as our worldwide reputation for being a research pioneer. I commend Ingenza for their forward thinking approach in fostering a new generation of young scientists, and offering up some excellent opportunities for training in this exciting sector.”