Introducing the project

As part of the Work Based Learning programme, funded by the EU’s Convergence European Social Fund, through the Welsh Government, our courses aim to equip professional learners with practical skills and specialist knowledge to enhance and supplement their existing laboratory or field skills.

Courses are flexible and allow learners to select a number of complementary modules to tailor their learning to their professional roles and to ensure continued professional development in their field.

Our professional training courses are ideal for:

• Employees of Bioscience companies working in the laboratory or in the field.
• Employees of companies in Bioscience-related sectors who use or need to develop their scientific skills.
• Employed people from any sector with a scientific background who wish to enter or return to the Bioscience sector.
• Employees looking for accredited Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

The training is offered at 2 levels:

CQFW Level 4 – Entry Level

Aimed at professional learners who require introductory level training, are new to a particular topic of study or would benefit from refresher training.

CQFW Level 7 – Masters Level

Ideally targeted to professionals who wish to develop existing skills or have specialist training or development needs. The flexibility of the APT in Bioscience programme may mean that content of level 4 modules could be adapted to provide level 7 training if required (please liaise directly with our tutors for this).

Modules are measured in credits which indicate the quantity of learning that will be achieved by completing the course. APT in Bioscience generally runs 5 or 10 credit modules which correspond to approximately 50 or 100 hours training respectively (including on-line and face-to-face teaching, conducting assessment exercises and personal reading and research). Each individual can receive training of up to 60 credits in total.

Modules are designed to develop skills relevant to bioscience businesses and enable working people to carry out flexible learning. For these reasons most modules have a strong applied and practical bias and formal training is combined with on-line distance learning.

A typical module will involve an initial induction, combined on-line and face-to-face training and an assessment. Face-to-face training may be carried out at Swansea University, within individual companies or within partner institutions (e.g. Aberystwyth or Bangor Universities) depending on individual circumstances.