Today we are speaking to two students, Sarah and Lewis, who are currently undertaking the Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Skills, in order to learn about their experiences on the programme. This is part of a series on this blog in which we meet with Foundation Apprenticeship students on all five of the frameworks on offer in East Lothian to find out more about the opportunity.

Why did you decide to do a Foundation Apprenticeship?
Sarah: I plan to do a Modern Apprenticeship when I leave school. I think this is a good gateway onto that path. Other than that I would like to pursue a career in this field and I think the work experience I will gain will be transferrable to future jobs. I also think that having something that is a little bit obscure will help me when looking to get jobs or applying to college, etc.
Lewis: I thought it would look good to universities.

Why did you choose the specific Foundation Apprenticeship that you are doing?
Sarah: I’m very interested in business as I took National 5 Business and found the content interesting.
Lewis: Because I want to do further education in business.

Have you enjoyed your experience so far?
Sarah: Yes, I’m enjoying gaining new skills on the computer.
Lewis: Yes I have. I also enjoy being able to work independently.

Have you faced any difficulties so far?
Sarah: No, not at all.
Lewis: No.

Would you recommend a Foundation Apprenticeship to other students?
Sarah: Definitely. It’s something a bit different from school which means you get a bit of a break from the school environment while still working and gaining a qualification.
Lewis: Yes, 100%.

Do you know what you want to do when you leave school?
Sarah: Modern Apprenticeship/work.
Lewis: I want to go to university.

How do you think doing a Foundation Apprenticeship will help you reach those goals?
Sarah: It gives me a qualification along with experience of working in a workplace environment.
Lewis: It will look appealing to universities.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Sarah and Lewis for answering my questions; it’s greatly appreciated. If you’d like to learn more about Foundation Apprenticeships, check out our blog post here. If you would like to apply, speak to your Guidance Teacher, and if you have any further questions, get in touch with East Lothian Works: vocationalopps@eastlothian.gov.uk.

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