Take advantage of these fully-funded adult learning courses at Bath College this spring
THE COLLEGE HAS A VAST RANGE OF PROGRAMMES TO SUIT YOUR PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS AND GOALS, WHATEVER YOUR BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE
For many of us, spring is often a time to start afresh. And if you’re thinking of moving into a different career, upskilling in your current role, or taking time to do something fun for yourself, why not consider doing a part-time learning course?
It’s never too late to boost your skills, knowledge and employability - and Bath College has a range of part-time offerings designed with adult learners in mind.
Better yet, many of the adult learning programmes available are fully funded*, as well as being flexible, making it easier and more accessible for those wanting to set themselves up for success.
Here, we highlight five of Bath College’s fully-funded* pathways to help adults step back into education.
1. ADULT COMMUNITY LEARNING
For those looking to venture into a different career, learn new skills, or just need some confidence building, Bath College’s Adult Community Learning provision is an ideal starting point.
Open to people aged 19 and over, there’s a wide selection of courses available to suit various needs and interests, from art to IT.
And with learners of varying ages, Bath College also does a lot of work supporting over 50s in getting back into work and navigating the digital landscape.
Kelly Vaughan-Watkins, adult curriculum manager at Bath College, said: “We have two types of courses; the first is aimed at getting people back into work and includes IT skills, confidence skills, how to find a job, and how to write a CV.
“Then, there’s courses focused on wellbeing and community. This includes art and cookery courses, with the aim to make people feel good about themselves and be a part of something.”
2. DISTANCE LEARNING
If you’re based elsewhere or have existing commitments meaning you require more flexible learning, don’t fret. Bath College has a range of online distance learning courses that are perfect for those looking for employment or to enhance their professional skills whilst still working.
These accredited courses are completely online, with marking and feedback from an experienced assessor. You’ll get access to a dedicated virtual learning platform, with workbooks and assessment features to complete at your own pace, as well as a tutor to support you throughout.
Courses include climate change, health and social care, counselling, first aid, mental health, coding, cybersecurity, business admin and customer service. At the end, learners are awarded a nationally recognised certificate. You can do three of these courses a year, and can start and finish at any time of the year.
3. MULTIPLY
Learners without a level two qualification or GCSE in maths can also embark on the funded Multiply programme at Bath College - with different avenues available to suit you.
Though some lessons are focused on maths itself, with the aim to build people’s confidence and skills to progress onto a maths qualification, others look at how maths is used in an everyday, real world environment, such as recipes within cooking lessons or patterns within art lessons.
Kelly said: “Maths doesn’t have to be intimidating. Multiply is a really nice way to give you a little bit of self-belief and seeing how it can work in the real world, as well as helping people realise how much they probably do know about maths already.”
4. SECTOR-BASED WORK ACADEMY PROGRAMMES (SWAPS)
Bath College also offers a series of Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) - short two-week courses completed in conjunction with an employer. These are perfect for learners looking to break into a specific industry, whether that is hospitality or construction, with other sectors such as education, the NHS, and administration coming soon. Throughout the course, learners will develop a range of relevant skills and have the opportunity to conduct work experience and/or hands-on taster sessions. Thanks to Bath College’s local employer partnerships, learners are also guaranteed a job interview at the end.
5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL
Ideal for people who are not native English speakers, Bath College runs various English as a Second Language (ESOL) courses. Open to ages 19 and over, courses run at different levels throughout the year in classes of 12 students maximum.
Kelly said: “We have around 700 learners enrolled across the region, from those who can speak English at a basic level to those who are completely new to the language. We do a lot of work with Ukrainian and Afghan refugees especially.
“Many of our learners are keen to develop their skills so that they can help their children with their homework and support them with their own learning. It’s important to remember how much we take for granted and our ESOL learners benefit from gaining new language skills which helps them to settle in their communities and secure employment.”
OTHER ADULT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
• Part-time qualifications: Short part-time courses for adults who are looking to upskill or retrain in areas such as counselling, accountancy, floristry, and construction. • Skills bootcamps: Delivered in partnership with the West of England local authority, these are generally about 10-16 weeks long and delivered one day a week for adults who want to upskill or start a new career.
• Prince’s Trust: Aimed at 19-25 year olds who are not in education or training or employment, these equip young people with vital employment skills and build self-confidence.
• English and maths revision for adults: Bite-size sessions and exams to help people study and progress to GCSEs.
• Love2Learn: Ideal for people looking to discover a new hobby such as ceramics, jewellery making, sewing, and modern foreign languages like French, Italian, Spanish or Japanese.
HEAR FROM PREVIOUS ADULT LEARNERS
One previous Bath College learner Robert said: “I really enjoyed my course, I was able to follow it intuitively and the material was always clear - the course will help me in my work.”
“My tutor also made the learning experience all the better - she was so encouraging, clear and quick to come back to me. Her instructions were easy to follow, as well as lovely and positive!”
Another learner Susan commented: “I just wanted to say thank you for supporting me through this course. You’ve marked my work really promptly, given me such encouraging feedback, and been so flexible with me.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this - it’s been so interesting and informative, and it has inspired me to learn more.”
EXCITING FUTURE PROJECT
Bath College has recently embarked on an exciting sustainability project, funded and supported by Retrofit West, the West of England Combined Authority and mayor Dan Norris.
The project involves providing construction employees with new sustainability-related skills to retrofit domestic properties in the south west region. Kelly added: “It’s a big project in the south west, which is really exciting. And it’s a wide collaboration not just Bath College, but other organisations and providers across the region too.”
It’s never too late to learn. If you would like to take on a course with Bath College, visit bathcollege.ac.uk/adult-skills to find out more. *Potential learners must meet Bath College’s eligibility criteria to qualify for a fully-funded course - please visitbathcollege.ac.uk/adult-skills for more details.