Fieldwork to lab work
Earlier this month, Billy presented a poster on his voluntary work in palaeontology at a National Technician Development Centre event in Sheffield. Following his geology degree at the University of Leeds, the fieldwork 'reignited' his interest in biology and showed him how important technicians are to great science... so he applied to be an apprentice at the BioEscalator! The rest is history (although not yet fossilised).
Mental Health, Pressure & Performance
Our Reception & Business Administration apprentice Becson knows how pressurised life can be for our high-growth biomedical tenants. He recruited Mark Simmonds, mental health champion and management trainer, to bring actionable insights for good mental health in high-performing teams to one of our BIOBITES lunches. This was part of a wider wellbeing initiative Becson's been working on through his Business Administration apprenticeship, and was open, thought-provoking & energising.
Here Becson reflects on how Mark's approach drove the discussion, valuable wellbeing tips and what comes next.
"The session was very well attended, with close to full capacity, and what stood out most was the level of engagement throughout. Rather than feeling like a typical talk, attendees asked questions and contributed to discussions during the session, and continued conversations afterwards. The interactive nature of the session made it easy for people to relate the content to their own roles and experiences."
"From the feedback I collected, a clear trend was how much people valued the practical side of the session. A lot of attendees mentioned the importance of recognising early signs of stress and burnout, as well as taking away simple actions they could apply straight away, such as conducting mental health check-ins, building a wellbeing schedule, and being more intentional about how they manage pressure."
"Another key takeaway for me was how impactful Mark's openness and personal experience were. Many people highlighted that this made the session feel more relatable and helped create a more honest and comfortable environment for discussion, which is not always easy to achieve in workplace settings."
"Overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it's clear there is strong interest in continuing this type of work. Many attendees suggested future sessions focused on leadership, team culture, and managing mental health in high-pressure environments, which is something I'm now looking to build on as part of the wider wellbeing initiative across the BioEscalator."
Awards season
Becson was recommended as a Finalist (and Highly Commended at May's ceremony) in the Advanced Apprentice of the Year category at the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2026. Congratulations!