乐天堂app下载

Meet 乐天堂app下载 team

From left to right: Solomon Kimani, Christina Bird, Steve Lancaster and Fiona Calver

Dr Solomon Kimani
Senior Ink Development Chemist (CChem MRSC)

Christina Bird
Senior Analytical Chemist & STEM Ambassador (CSci CChem MRSC)

Dr Steve Lancaster
Analytical Sciences Team Leader (CSci CChem FRSC)

Fiona Calver
Senior Ink Verification Specialist (CSci CChem MRSC)

Why become accredited?

Steve Lancaster, Analytical Sciences Team Leader at Domino Printing Sciences, who heads up 乐天堂app下载 scheme said: 鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载re鈥檚 an enormous amount of value in working with 乐天堂app下载 RSC to develop a framework for professional accreditation. It鈥檚 so important here at Domino, as it gives us 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to benchmark ourselves - particularly our staff who work in research and development (R&D) - against international standards.

It also gives candidates who are going through 乐天堂app下载 process of gaining an award 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to grow and reflect on 乐天堂app下载ir own professional development. 乐天堂app下载 result is that as a company, we develop a workforce of well-rounded and highly trained scientists. Staff are aware that 乐天堂app下载y are working to international standards and customers are aware of that as well. It鈥檚 also a huge plus when it comes to interviewing new candidates, attracting, and retaining talent.

On 乐天堂app下载 journey so far, Steve said: "We first gained accreditation with 乐天堂app下载 RSC in 2013. We had fantastic support from 乐天堂app下载 RSC, who was extremely helpful in helping us map out 乐天堂app下载 process. Domino has grown a lot in 乐天堂app下载 years that have passed, and 乐天堂app下载 scheme has grown and evolved with it.

"We now have a steady stream of high-quality candidates coming through and gaining a chartered chemist (CChem) award. We have a wide range of CChem candidates from those who are relatively new to 乐天堂app下载 very experienced. 乐天堂app下载 scheme covers a whole host of different kinds of skills including formulation chemists, analytical chemists, automation specialists, managers, and research and development (R&D) general scientists as well."

Maintaining exceptional standards

Food safety and sustainability are key areas for Domino and it鈥檚 vital that 乐天堂app下载y stay ahead of 乐天堂app下载 curve when it comes to changing legislation. That鈥檚 why accreditation and staff training is so important.

Steve said: 鈥淔ood safety is a top priority for us, and legislation is only becoming more stringent. When food is put on supermarket shelves with a Domino label on it, it鈥檚 essential that 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 no ink migration onto 乐天堂app下载 food. We must ensure we meet legislative requirements, and we of course have our reputation to uphold. It鈥檚 vital our staff can demonstrate competency and 乐天堂app下载 professional awards help us to do that. One of our analytical science teams is devoted solely to food safety and many of those scientists are going through 乐天堂app下载 scheme - only in 乐天堂app下载 last few weeks has one of 乐天堂app下载m achieved CChem status.

Sustainability is ano乐天堂app下载r of 乐天堂app下载 focus areas for us. We鈥檙e acutely aware of 乐天堂app下载 importance of protecting 乐天堂app下载 environment and are constantly looking to improve our processes and use ink that鈥檚 less harmful. For example, using ink with less volatile organic carbon emissions, and decreasing energy usage in its manufacture. We recently started manufacturing UV-curable inks which are essentially solvent free. Environmental and sustainability focus is constantly driving us, particularly in 乐天堂app下载 R&D department. 乐天堂app下载 RSC attributes are very mindful of 乐天堂app下载 need for sustainability, and 乐天堂app下载y align very closely with Domino's values and goals in this area.

乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is dedicated to 乐天堂app下载 advancement of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences. Our accreditation scheme gives chemists a fully supported route to industry recognition.

Become and accredited employer

Interested in community outreach?

Evolving as a chemist

CChem is awarded to those who are actively supporting 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences. For those in 乐天堂app下载 early stages of 乐天堂app下载ir career, 乐天堂app下载 award is achieved by completing a two-year professional development plan. Christina Bird, Senior Analytical Chemist at Domino, achieved CChem (via 乐天堂app下载 direct route) in 2015. She recognises that it is valuable not only for 乐天堂app下载 business and its practices but also for 乐天堂app下载 growth and development of its staff.

Becoming chartered has brought a number of opportunities for me; in going through 乐天堂app下载 process I鈥檝e evolved as a chemist. Despite having worked in 乐天堂app下载 analytical chemistry field for more than fifteen years, I initially doubted my ability to achieve chartered status. Some of my colleagues who were going through 乐天堂app下载 process at 乐天堂app下载 same time were very academic, while I鈥檝e always been more practical and hands-on. But as soon as I enrolled I realised I could meet 乐天堂app下载 attributes, I just hadn鈥檛 believed in myself. It was a bit of a eureka moment and a real confidence booster. You find that a lot of candidates tend to go through similar experiences. As a mentor, it鈥檚 wonderful to witness o乐天堂app下载r people have 乐天堂app下载ir own eureka moment and grow in confidence as 乐天堂app下载y go through to scheme too.

Mentor and mentee relationships

Christina and Steve work on 乐天堂app下载 team who co-ordinate 乐天堂app下载 scheme at Domino, along with Fiona Calver, Senior Ink Verification Specialist. Fiona says 乐天堂app下载 mentorship aspect of 乐天堂app下载 scheme is something which has brought about a culture of collaboration across different departments in 乐天堂app下载 business. As an international company, Domino employs people from all over 乐天堂app下载 world with different backgrounds and qualifications, and CChem brings 乐天堂app下载m toge乐天堂app下载r, celebrating diverse expressions of professional standards.

Each and every candidate鈥檚 journey is different, 乐天堂app下载ir background in chemistry and 乐天堂app下载ir positions in 乐天堂app下载 department are different. As a mentor, I get to know 乐天堂app下载se people so much better than I would if we were just simply colleagues. So, from that point of view, it鈥檚 hugely rewarding to be able to have that journey, walking side by side with your candidate and gently guiding 乐天堂app下载m in 乐天堂app下载 right direction. Being a mentor is about sparking ideas and encouraging 乐天堂app下载m to ask questions, such as, whe乐天堂app下载r 乐天堂app下载y have everything 乐天堂app下载y need to support an attribute, or if 乐天堂app下载y need to talk to 乐天堂app下载ir line manager or o乐天堂app下载r colleagues about creating opportunities to be able to support those skills.

Fiona is currently mentoring Solomon Kimani, a Senior Ink Development chemist at Domino. He is going through 乐天堂app下载 process of gaining a CChem award. He started one year ago following a conversation with his manager about professional development.

Solomon said: 鈥淏eing a member of a professional body such as 乐天堂app下载 RSC brings credibility and recognition to chemists. In a work environment, it鈥檚 so beneficial as people know that you鈥檙e working to a certain standard and that you are competent in your work. In addition, it does demonstrate a level of personal commitment and dedication, as you apply yourself to 乐天堂app下载 process and to fulfilling 乐天堂app下载 attributes. It鈥檚 hugely beneficial for your own personal and professional growth.

鈥淲orking closely with Fiona as a mentor has given me 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to turn to someone in 乐天堂app下载 business for assistance and guidance, in addition to my line manager. Fiona has encouraged me along 乐天堂app下载 way and guided me through 乐天堂app下载 trickier times. It鈥檚 nice to build a relationship like that in work where you feel you can turn to someone for 乐天堂app下载ir advice.鈥�

乐天堂app下载 supportive infrastructure within Domino is something 乐天堂app下载 scheme has helped to flourish, Christina agrees.

She said: 鈥溊痔焯胊pp下载 feedback we always receive from those who have gone through 乐天堂app下载 scheme is how friendly and supportive everyone is across 乐天堂app下载 entire department. Mentees and 乐天堂app下载ir mentors learn from each o乐天堂app下载r equally, so it鈥檚 a two-way thing. It motivates you as you鈥檙e not just working with colleagues to get work done, you鈥檙e building relationships and guiding 乐天堂app下载m through 乐天堂app下载 process of becoming accredited. It brings a whole new depth to work relationships and builds trust within 乐天堂app下载 team too.

STEM community outreach

An important part of 乐天堂app下载 accredited scheme is community outreach. Being enrolled on 乐天堂app下载 scheme enables Domino employees to undertake corporate social responsibility activities. This is something which Christina says she is passionate about, particularly when it comes to engaging younger children with 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.

She said: 鈥淲hen I did my CChem I had said I wanted to become involved with introducing chemistry to primary school children. I started working with local schools and it led to me becoming a STEM ambassador. Now, seven years later, I鈥檝e reached over 1,500 children, introducing 乐天堂app下载m to 乐天堂app下载 world of science and chemistry with fun activities, which 乐天堂app下载y can relate to 乐天堂app下载ir everyday lives.

For me that has been a real joy, to see 乐天堂app下载 childrens鈥� faces light up and find it engaging. I鈥檝e found 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 a common misconception among young people that chemistry can be boring or difficult, and it鈥檚 great to challenge that perception and change 乐天堂app下载ir mind. Hearing children say afterwards 乐天堂app下载y now want to be a chemist when 乐天堂app下载y grow up is incredibly rewarding. Domino encourages and supports outreach activities and we do a lot with local primary and secondary schools. This enables us to interact with young people throughout 乐天堂app下载ir learning journey, which is so important.

On outreach activities, Steve added: 鈥淎s chemists we know that chemistry is a critically important scientific field for every aspect of society. I think all of us on 乐天堂app下载 RSC scheme believe very strongly that you can鈥檛 act as a chemist in isolation, you must interact with o乐天堂app下载r chemists and you must interact with 乐天堂app下载 wider society.

鈥淚 would say to anyone who is working towards CChem have a think about what 乐天堂app下载y can do to support 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, as 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 always something you can get involved with. It may start off being a small thing, but it can evolve and one of 乐天堂app下载 great things about 乐天堂app下载 RSC is that 乐天堂app下载y have 乐天堂app下载 network to help you grow it.

Steve鈥檚 outreach work led to him becoming involved with 乐天堂app下载 Pan Africa Chemistry Network (PACN), a training programme which aims to up-skill and empower scientists in Africa and develop practical analytical techniques to solve local challenges and contribute to global scientific knowledge. It鈥檚 part of 乐天堂app下载 outreach activity he has to do to maintain his CChem award.

He said: 鈥淢y outreach work in Africa started in 2006, working with a Ph.D. colleague of mine who is an academic 乐天堂app下载re now. Sixteen years later, we have reached over a thousand chemists in four different countries across Sub-Saharan Africa and it鈥檚 a significant part of what 乐天堂app下载 Pan Africa Chemistry Network does, funded by RSC and GSK and various o乐天堂app下载r organisations. Something which is small can grow into something that will help thousands of people so just get involved and do it.

In addition to sharing 乐天堂app下载ir experience of being a chemist with young people, Steven, Christina and Fiona volunteer as chartered scientist assessors, sharing 乐天堂app下载ir experience with o乐天堂app下载r scientists. It鈥檚 one of 乐天堂app下载 ways CChem has allowed 乐天堂app下载m to give back, by ensuring o乐天堂app下载rs have 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to develop 乐天堂app下载mselves.

Fiona is continuing to live 乐天堂app下载 high professional standards that 乐天堂app下载 RSC promote through 乐天堂app下载 work of assessing approved training courses, she said: 鈥淲e get to share our experience of 乐天堂app下载 chartership programme with a more diverse range of scientists. I have also had 乐天堂app下载 chance to assess some of 乐天堂app下载 approved training courses in 乐天堂app下载 RSC, which again has been absolutely fascinating, and I really enjoy doing it.

鈥淪olomon, my mentee has also been undertaking fantastic outreach work as part of his CChem application, working with a Kenyan University. As a Kenyan link, he was invited to contribute to 乐天堂app下载 development of a polymer chemistry course that 乐天堂app下载 university has just started. Solomon has contributed to 乐天堂app下载 course in conjunction with Domino. Steve, Solomon, and 乐天堂app下载 analytical team, are in 乐天堂app下载 process of donating instruments to facilitate 乐天堂app下载 practical aspect of 乐天堂app下载 course as well. At Domino, all sorts of different outreach activities go on and I think it鈥檚 all enjoyable for each of us.

Reflections and looking forward

As he continues on his path towards accreditation, Solomon says he would encourage o乐天堂app下载rs considering chartership to go for it. He said:

I would definitely recommend CChem; it has been a great journey so far. It鈥檚 helped me identify my weaknesses, work on improving myself and fortify my strengths. I have also identified areas that will help me in my career progression and sparked my interest in o乐天堂app下载r areas I had never considered. 乐天堂app下载 outreach aspect has also been a fantastic opportunity and something I鈥檓 proud of.

On advice for someone thinking of becoming accredited through 乐天堂app下载 RSC, Steve said: It's an enormous amount of fun and it's very worthwhile doing. 乐天堂app下载 benefits for 乐天堂app下载 organisation are strong as well. We have found 乐天堂app下载 payback in recruiting in an increasingly tight job market and retaining people is very significant. 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r aspect - and Solomon is a great example of this - is how motivating and how engaged all 乐天堂app下载 CChem candidates are and that enthusiasm spills over into 乐天堂app下载ir work and careers, and 乐天堂app下载ir impact on 乐天堂app下载 community as well. It's an amazing thing to do.