Over recent years the concept of lifelong learning has become increasingly popular. The government believes that education should be available to all adults who want to learn and who can benefit in some way from that learning. As a consequence, a number of new initiatives have been developed which should make the learning process easier for adults. In this chapter some of these initiatives are outlined, along with some of the older, popular courses and institutions, so that you can begin to understand what is on offer for you within the different sectors of the education system.

COURSES FOR ADULTS

Throughout the UK there are many courses aimed specifically at adults. These courses are designed and taught with your interests and concerns at the forefront. This means that tutors realise that your circumstances are different to those of school leavers and they will be more flexible and understanding, helping you through any difficulties you may encounter. For example, they may provide extra help for study skills or be more understanding if you have to miss a class due to childcare commitments.

Access courses

These courses are for adults who are interested in returning to learning after having had a period away from the education system. Some are aimed specifically at women. Access courses tend to follow one discipline, such as ‘social sciences’ or ‘sciences’, but within that discipline you usually get the opportunity to try out different subjects. For example, in a social sciences access course you might be able to study sociology, psychology, social policy, welfare rights and counselling skills.

Access courses are useful if you are not sure about what you want to study as they give you the chance to ‘taste’ the subjects before making any final decisions. Many access courses are designed to help you get back into learning and will also offer help with your study skills.

Most access courses tend to be offered by further education colleges although some might be offered by higher education institutions or adult residential colleges (see below). Some colleges have joined together with local universities to offer a number of places on degree courses upon successful completion of the access course.

All access courses vary, so if you are interested in following this route you need to find out which subjects are on offer, how many you are required to study and whether places are available at your local university upon completion of your course. Contact your local college or ring learndirect (0800 100 900) to find out where access courses are run in your area. Some courses might be free, others attract a student bursary and some will give fee concessions for those on low incomes (see Chapters 5 and 6 and check with your chosen institution for more information).

University adult education departments

Some universities have adult education departments which are as old as the university itself. These go by many different names such as extra-mural departments, adult continuing education, and so on. These departments tend to offer short courses for adults in what used to be termed ‘liberal’ areas such as writing, painting, geology and so on. Others offer courses leading to professional qualifications, especially at postgraduate level.

If you live near a university ring the university enquiries number in your local telephone directory and ask if they have an adult education department. If they do you will be given a direct number. Ring and ask for a prospectus. Other departments have ‘drop-in’ centres where the information is readily available, usually in the form of leaflets, booklets or advice from the staff. Fees are payable – it is unlikely you will obtain financial support for this type of study although universities tend to offer fee concessions for those on low incomes.

Adult education service

Many county councils run their own adult education service. These provide courses aimed specifically at adults. Some may lead to vocational qualifications, others to academic qualifications, or many courses are offered for interest. For example, you might be interested in yoga for health, writing for profit or bricklaying. You have to pay for the courses although concessions are available for those on low incomes. In some counties the adult education service runs ‘bite size’ or ‘taster courses’. These are often free and provide an opportunity to try out the course before enrolling and paying a fee. Look in the Yellow Pages under ‘adult education’ or ‘further education’, or contact you local Citizen’s Advice Bureau or County Council to find out about your local service. Many areas provide a free prospectus delivered to your home or made available in the local library.

Adult residential colleges

Throughout the country there are a number of adult residential colleges. These specialise in offering both short-and long-term courses for adults in a supportive, residential environment. Most colleges define adults as over the age of 21, although places may be offered to younger students.

Seven of the colleges offer long-term courses similar to access courses – they are designed to help adults get back into education, helping with study skills and providing the opportunity to study a variety of subjects before choosing your specific options. Bursaries are available for adults who wish to study on these long-term courses (see Chapter 6) and free accommodation, childcare and meals may be provided. Some colleges help with transport arrangements and costs. The colleges have made arrangements with local universities to offer a number of degree course places for those having successfully completed their course.

Adult residential colleges also offer short courses, usually over a period of two days to a week. There is a wide range of short course subjects on offer and these vary between colleges – some specialise in arts subjects, others in social and community issues, others in information technology. Some colleges offer free accommodation and meals to students on short courses. In these colleges students learn from the tutors and from each other – living at the college is part of the learning experience. I have carried out evaluation research with students from one of these colleges for the past nine years and the feedback is always extremely positive.

To obtain a list of adult residential colleges offering short courses, contact:

The ARCA website contains a map of the UK with a list of all the adult residential colleges offering short courses. Click on the college in which you are interested and contact details and a description of each will appear.

To find out about the residential colleges offering long-term courses read Chapter 6 in which contact details for each college are provided. Telephone or write for a prospectus.

Workers’ Educational Association

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is a registered charity, founded in 1903. It aims to provide high quality learning opportunities for adults from all walks of life, but especially those who may have missed out on learning in early life, or who are socially and economically disadvantaged. It is a national voluntary organisation that provides courses on a wide range of subjects for more than 110,000 students a year. It is recognised and financially supported by central and local government. The WEA is non-party political and works closely with a range of partners including Local Education Authorities, universities and other voluntary and community organisations.

Courses are organised by over 650 local branches throughout the UK. The WEA’s community learning provision focuses on the needs of particular groups in the community, whereas the workplace learning provision recruits students in partnership with trades unions and employers. This initiative, in particular, caters for the needs of low-paid workers and those without formal qualifications. For details about courses, contact the WEA or visit their website.

FURTHER EDUCATION COURSES

As an adult you can study at further education colleges. ‘Further education’ refers to any education which is undertaken after the compulsory school-leaving age. Broadly speaking there are five different types of institution offering further education:

• General FE colleges – these offer a wide range of courses to students of all ages, with most over the age of 19. Courses can be during the day, during the evening, full-time, part-time, day release or block release. Qualifications can be academic or vocational.
• Sixth form colleges – these are designed for 16–18 year olds and tend to be attached to schools.
• Tertiary or community colleges tend to fall somewhere between the above two FE providers. They have a greater number of younger students, although they also cater for older students, offering a wide variety of academic and vocational qualifications.
• Agricultural colleges – although these used to concentrate on purely agricultural areas such as farming and horticulture, they now offer related courses in areas such as business and engineering.
• Specialist colleges – throughout the country there are a number of colleges that specialise in offering further education in specific areas such as art and design, music or childcare.

In further education colleges some courses are more popular with 16–18 year-old students, such as those carried out full-time, during the day that lead to specific qualifications in popular subject areas. Some adults prefer not to study in this type of environment. If you find a course in which you are interested, you can always talk to guidance staff or tutors at the college to find out more about your fellow students. Evening classes and part-time courses tend, as a general rule, to be attended by adults rather than school leavers.

Many further education colleges will run courses designed specifically for adult learners. These could be access courses (see above) or might be foundation courses which are similar to access courses. This type of course comes under many different names, for example it might be called ‘Fresh Start’ or ‘Springboard’. Again, all these courses will be designed for adults who have had a period of time away from education and who might be unsure about their ability to study or unclear about which subjects to study. The courses offer the chance to try out different subject areas within a supportive, adult environment.

If you are interested in finding out more about your further education college, look in the Yellow Pages under ‘further education’. Ring the switchboard and ask for a prospectus or further details of courses on offer. If you are interested in courses aimed specifically at adults, say so and ask for further details. Most further education colleges will have advice and guidance workers or drop-in centres where you can obtain more details (see Chapter 4).

HIGHER EDUCATION COURSES

Higher education refers to education carried out at a level higher than A Levels or Level 3. It tends to be delivered in universities or colleges of higher education, although some further education colleges and adult residential colleges may offer some higher education courses. Polytechnics no longer exist – they were able to apply for university status from 1992.

At this present time there is talk of university mergers. However, in 2005, higher education institutions can be divided into ten categories:

• 1.The two old English universities of Oxford and Cambridge – a distinguishing feature is the college system.
• 2.The older Scottish universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, established in the thirteenth–fifteenth centuries.
• 3.The Universities of London and Wales which are made up of a number of specialist institutions.
• 4.The ‘modern’ or ‘civic’ universities established in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield. These are sometimes referred to as ‘traditional’ universities.
• 5.The ‘new’ universities which were built in the 1960s such as Kent and York.
• 6.The universities with technological roots such as Surrey and Loughborough.
• 7.The Open University (see below).
• 8.The former polytechnics which were granted university status by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. These historically have close links with business and industry.
• 9.The privately funded University of Buckingham.
• 10.Higher education colleges.

In higher education institutions you can study for degrees, diplomas or postgraduate qualifications, which refer to any qualifications higher than the level of degree, such as Master’s degrees or Doctorates.

Universities are able to make their own decisions about selection criteria. Even today, some universities are very ‘traditional’ in terms of who they accept on their courses. Some ask for very high A Level grades and rarely consider offering places to people with other qualifications. If you are considering studying for a degree it will become quite obvious which universities are less open to ‘non-traditional’ students – look in your local library at various prospectuses and you will soon see.

Other universities, however, are much more adult friendly. They will accept people from access courses or other foundation courses. Some will accept your prior experience in a job as suitability for entry. By flicking through university prospectuses in your local library, or by visiting individual websites, you will find out which universities are more adult friendly.

When you are applying for a degree course at university, you do not apply to the individual institution. Instead, all applications for full-time undergraduate courses are dealt with by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). If you enrol on an access course, your tutor will help you with the application procedure. Otherwise, application forms can be obtained from schools, colleges or from UCAS:

When you fill in an application form you will need to enter the code of your university choices. These codes are contained in the UCAS Directory which is produced annually and held by school, college and local libraries. When you request an application form you will be sent a booklet which outlines the application procedure. Or you can apply on-line through their website www.ucas.com. You can also request a booklet called The Mature Students’ Guide to Higher Education.

DISTANCE LEARNING/CORRESPONDENCE COURSES

Distance learning, sometimes called correspondence learning or e-learning, is a useful way of returning to learning without leaving the comfort of your own home. It is especially useful for people who have caring commitments or for those who are unable to leave the home for other reasons, such as mobility restrictions. It is also a useful way of returning to learning for those people who might be uncomfortable about entering an unfamiliar learning environment.

The Open University

Most Open University (OU) courses are run through distance learning, although summer schools and meetings are arranged. The OU uses ‘multi-media’ techniques which include textbooks, printed matter, television programmes, radio broadcasts and home computing. It is the largest university in the UK with over 200,000 students. Although two-thirds of the students are aged between 25 and 44, students can enter the university at the age of 18 or when they are much older. The Open University does not require specific entry qualifications which means that the courses are open to anyone who has the will and desire to study the course.

Most OU students study part-time and many students maintain full-time employment during their studies. Students have their own tutors and meet them and fellow students at study centres or residential schools. OU courses can lead to diplomas, degrees or higher degrees, and costs vary depending on the type of course and subject. A list of the different courses and subject areas can be obtained from their website or from the address below:

Open University programmes are broadcast during the BBC Learning Zone, usually early in the morning. Anyone can watch the programmes which give an insight into what is taught through the OU. Details of the programmes to be shown can be found on Ceefax or by telephoning (0870) 900 9584. Alternatively, a Learning Zone magazine can be picked up from your local library.

The National Extension College

The National Extension College (NEC) is a non-profit-making trust dedicated to providing educational opportunities for all. The NEC provides distance learning courses in subjects ranging from accountancy to writing and editing. Courses can be undertaken to obtain a qualification, as a first step on a new career, to improve your skills or for personal interest. Many students now study on-line, although printed study materials are provided for those without access to a computer. Personal tutor support is available via the telephone or e-mail.

You can enrol at any time of the year and work at a pace which suits you. It is also possible to decide whether or not you wish to take any examinations at the end of your course. The NEC tries to keep course fees as low as possible and will offer discounts to students who are on income support, unemployment benefit or state pension. Further advice on financing your studies can be obtained from the NEC’s free Guide to Courses. To obtain a copy contact:

Learndirect

Learndirect offers courses in subjects such as understanding information technology and reading and writing skills. Courses can be studied at home if you have internet access or at a number of learndirect centres located around the country. All courses are studied on-line, so if you are not confident with using a computer you might be better visiting a centre where staff can help you with your work. Details of your local centres can be found in your local library or by consulting the learndirect website www.learndirect.co.uk. Alternatively you can ring the national help line for more information: (0800) 101 901.

There is a cost for the courses although vouchers may be available for some introductory sessions – ring the help line or check in your local library for more information.

SUMMARY

A useful way to think about the type of education available to you as an adult is in three sections – adult education, further education and higher education. Within each of these sections are various options, as the following list illustrates:

• Adult education:
  • access courses
  • university adult education departments
  • adult education service
  • adult residential colleges
  • Workers’ Educational Association.
• Further education:
  • general FE
  • sixth form colleges
  • tertiary or community colleges
  • agricultural colleges
  • specialist colleges.
• Higher education:
  • universities
  • colleges of higher education.

In addition to attending a specific institution, you may also consider distance learning or correspondence courses:

• Distance learning:
  • The Open University
  • The National Extension College
  • Learndirect.

FURTHER READING

For a comprehensive guide to further education consult the CRAC Directory which can be found in the reference section of your local library. The Careers Research and Advisory Centre produce this publication annually. It is a complete guide to over 75,000 FE courses in the UK, but also includes informative articles on further education and the qualifications that can be gained.

In the reference section of your local library you will find the Springboard Which Degree Directory Series. This is produced annually and covers all first degree courses available through UCAS.

You may find the following books useful when you begin to make your learning choices: