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Abigael Koko decided to expand her career path after being inspired by her job as a home support worker with Furness Carers, which she began in 2009. She found she loved working with the elderly and the work is her way of helping the community. Now the 29-year-old has just completed a two-year course at Furness College to gain a Health and Social Care Foundation Degree and hopes to become a social worker.

Abigael came to Britain from her home country Kenya to be with her husband when she was 24. In Kenya she had trained as a secretary and worked for a law firm.

Her learning began with an access course at Furness College three years ago as Abigael knew that she ultimately wanted to go to university. Before completing the course, Abigael was told about the foundation degree in Health & Social Care. Because of financial, family and work commitments Abigael could not afford to go to Lancaster University However having the course offered on her doorstep at Furness College provided a very great opportunity in Barrow.

Abigael I really enjoys working with the elderly in a job which involves having to interact with people, talk to them, bath them and care for them. Abigael says, “I love my job.”

Although Abigael studied just one day a week at the college, the rest of the time was spent preparing for the assignments and the work which you are expected to do as part of the course. Abigael said; “It was really interesting and having been away from school for a long time it was a new experience. You are starting to learn again and you worry you can’t do it, but with the help of the tutors and the two librarians you find yourself enjoying it. It was a very good experience. It is sad now everyone has graduated and taken different paths. We were used to the lecturers and now we have to go and find new ones.”

Abigael speaks very highly of the course and Furness College, particularly her tutors who were very supportive. “They really encouraged you in everything and they were there for you when you needed them. You could email them, call them and they were always there to help. The first day was quite frightening, but they introduced you slowly so it was good.” Abigael also enjoyed the wide variety of people at the college and the atmosphere which made you feel welcome.

Of her employers, Abigael is also very complimentary.”They were very supportive because they had to work around my college times. With the course, one is expected to find a placement. My boss at Furness Carers agreed that my work with them could act as my placement which was very handy. My employer kept in touch with the college to explain what I have learnt, what I wanted to learn which helped connect the theory with the practical.” Abigael believes that by working it has put all the theory into practice and makes all the learning real. And for her employers she feels that they will have a more highly skilled employee than before which can only be good for business.

In the future Abigael is hoping to top up her Foundation Degree to a full honours degree with one year at the University of Cumbria in Lancaster. Of her studies Abigael finishes by saying, “This course has helped me get back into studying and it has boosted my confidence. These courses offer so many pathways to individuals. Until you talk to the lecturers you don’t realise how many options are available to you.”