A rewarding career change for Keith with the help of Total People

Moving into the care sector with a Total People apprenticeship. 

It’s never too late to learn and that is true for a residential support worker and Total People apprentice Keith Higgins.  

After working in the travel industry for 15 years, Keith decided to change track and pursue a career with Bright Futures, which provides residential care for young people with autism and learning disabilities.  

Thanks to Total People, he is now pursuing a Lead Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship after gaining a Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care in 2017.  

He said: “I was encouraged by my employer to do an apprenticeship with Total People and I’m learning what the duty of care is in practice as well as the 6 c’s of care.  

“I have progressed well. The excellent support from my learning coach has meant that I have gained my care certificate standards. I have also progressed at a fast pace within my job role and I’ve become a key worker for one of our young people.”  

Keith said he felt he wouldn’t have progressed at a steady pace without the support of his learning coach.  

He said: “My learning coach has kept me grounded when I have been stressed or confused about what a unit is asking of me. Any question no matter how small has been answered. I have been encouraged to put as much detail as possible into my work which has benefited other areas of my learning.” 

Keith is keen to progress into more senior roles within his company, something that he feels confident doing thanks to the skills he has gained during his apprenticeship.  

He said: “My apprenticeship has taught me the skills needed to progress within my role. The support from my learning coach has given me confidence within my role and also the confidence that I can achieve my goals.  

The biggest thing I received was an encouragement to succeed and advice on where my career can take me. I have listened to advice from my learning coach and put it into practice.  

“I would encourage someone thinking of applying to take the next step and apply. An apprenticeship is a great way to learn the skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to complete your job role and it is also a great way to lay down foundations to progress further in your career.”  

Find out the wide range of opportunities within the Health and Social Care sector.