Apprentice stories
Lara
Foundation Apprentice
Healthcare and Social Services
Young carer Lara Henderson got her career off to a great start thanks to her Foundation Apprenticeship.
Lara's
journey
Lara cares for her younger sister, who has autism. She loves helping others and wanted to learn about healthcare while she was at school.
Then aged 16, Lara was considering leaving school and going to college. During a chat with her guidance teacher, she discovered Foundation Apprenticeships.
The former Kinross High pupil worked at Loch Leven Health Centre - dealing with patient check ins. She learned a lot about working in healthcare and developed her social skills.
Now, Lara is studying Psychology at Aberdeen University. She'd love to work in forensic or clinical psychology - making a career out of her passion for helping others.
Lara's
apprenticeship
Kinross-based Lara found herself at a career crossroads. At 16 years old, she wasn’t sure whether to stay at school or go to college. A Healthcare and Social Services Foundation Apprenticeship was the best of both.
As a carer for her younger sister and a mental health ambassador at school, Lara loves helping people. While working at Loch Leven Health Centre, she helped patients in a variety of ways.
The former Kinross High School pupil gained real experience in a healthcare environment. Now studying psychology, Lara believes her apprenticeship helped her become more aware of people’s feelings.
Stacy Brown, Office Manager at Loch Leven Health Centre said: “Lara was fantastic and very empathetic. Her confidence grew massively, both in herself and in dealing with different situations.”
Why did you choose a Foundation Apprenticeship in healthcare?
Lara - Did you always want to work in healthcare?
What have you gained from your Foundation Apprenticeship?
There’s a Foundation Apprenticeship out there for everyone. Having real workplace experience helps you in the future.
Lara
Foundation Apprentice, Healthcare and Social Services
The future
Lara’s apprenticeship allowed her to develop her passion for supporting others. Foundation Apprenticeships are recognised by universities as equal to a Higher. Lara put hers to good use as she's now in the first year of a Psychology Degree at Aberdeen University. In 2022, she was a finalist in the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards.
The 18-year-old is fully focused on university. Long term, Lara dreams of working as a forensic or clinical psychologist.
She said: “During my Foundation Apprenticeship, I learned a lot about values, standards and codes of conduct. It also helped with studying psychology. It covered things like the ability to see signs of abuse and how to develop my listening skills.”
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