This course is for students who are interested in a career in the Science sector.

This course has been developed to give you the skills and knowledge you will need to deal with the challenges you will face whilst working in or studying in this field.

You will develop professional and practical skills through carrying out real experiments and research, working with local employers who can provide a workplace setting or national research projects that use volunteers to gather data, as well as theoretical knowledge and understanding to underpin these skills.

This will allow you to practice lab techniques required in an industrial setting using equipment that may not be readily available in the classroom. You will be made aware of safe working practices in a lab and the strict legal requirements you must adhere to.

You will also gain an understanding of the different types of scientific industries and settings plus how laboratory design can vary across organisations and sectors. When it comes to progression or employment, you will understand the variety of opportunities available to you, and the roles and responsibilities of businesses and organisations within the sector. This will make sure you develop clear ideas about where you might like to take your career and what progression routes you’d like to follow.

You will cover a variety of topics including:

• Laboratory techniques
• Scientific analysis and reporting
• Human physiology
• Genetics
• Control of hazards in the laboratory
• Environmental surveying

There are two qualifications available, the extended certificate which is equivalent to 1 A -Level and the diploma which is equivalent to 2 A-Levels.