You could take a college course, which may help when looking for work or an apprenticeship.

Courses include:

• applied science
• biology, chemistry, maths or physics
• T Level in Healthcare Science

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

You can apply to do a Healthcare Science Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

You can also do a Healthcare Science Associate Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, if you have A levels or equivalent qualifications.

These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with classroom learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

You may have an advantage when applying for jobs or an apprenticeship if you have volunteering experience in health or social care.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

You can apply directly for jobs. You'll usually need:

• good literacy, numeracy and IT skills
• an understanding of medical terminology
• some experience of working in a healthcare or lab setting

You'll need:

• science skills
• analytical thinking skills
• maths knowledge
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• to be flexible and open to change
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to work well with others
• administration skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

As a healthcare science assistant, you could:

• take readings from monitoring and diagnostic equipment
• label, sort and store patient specimens
• analyse tissue and fluid samples
• prepare specimens for further testing
• sterilise equipment and dispose of hazardous waste
• enter patient data and test results onto a database
• work closely with other healthcare professionals

You could work in an office, in a laboratory or at a GP practice.

You may need to wear protective clothing.