It’s never too late!! August and September are landmark months in the calendar for education – not only for teenagers!
The months of August and September are landmarks in the year’s calendar for many of us, and the media, in connection with education. Firstly, the Scottish Higher results, then the A level results and the launch of UCAS Clearing (a route for many to a degree and other higher education study at universities and colleges) and then a week later in August GCSE results. Families across the borough, and the nation, will experience the highs and lows of these events and read, watch and listen to their coverage in the media. In September, schools, colleges, such as ours at Wandsworth (South Thames College), and universities will open their doors to their new and returning students. Much of this relates to the more youthful members of our population, right at the beginning of their lives and is vital for their futures. For many of us of more mature years, we may have a memory of the past of these two months being times of receiving our results, and the associated emotions, and of starting on the different stages of our education journey. However, why should this be just a memory of achievement and fresh starts? Why should not August and September, and other points in the year, be new starting points for all of us irrespective of age? Lifelong learning is what we all do every day, but that expression in its formal sense has perhaps lost some resonance in recent years. The opportunities may be less obvious, less available and less well supported by government funding than in the past but the opportunities for adults to learn, grow and develop, in all sorts of ways, and not just linked to career development, is still there. Whilst Philip Augar’s recent Review of Post 18 Education, reported that “adult skills funding has reduced 45% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2017/18” and that “funding for adults in Further Education (FE) is fragmented, unpredictable and sits at a much lower level than higher education and the funding of 16-18 year olds learning”, there are still opportunities for learning in later life at FE colleges, such as South Thames College, Wandsworth, and its Tooting Centre located just by Tooting Broadway station.
Apprenticeships Many businesses and individuals are taking advantage of the 2017 withdrawal of the age limit for apprenticeships and the opportunity for businesses to use their Apprenticeship Levy (the additional tax that larger employers pay) to upskill existing employees of all ages. At South Thames College, its range of apprenticeships including accountancy, dental nursing, leadership for health and social care and children and young peoples’ services, civil engineering and building services design are currently providing opportunities for existing employees, of a range of ages, working in large businesses to be upskilled as part of high quality management and skills training programmes. Apprenticeship training such as this can also offer formal management, skills and specialist training for employees of smaller businesses funded favourably by the co-funding model also introduced in 2017.
Professional Development For those looking for a new job or wanting to progress in their career South Thames College offers a range of work-focused training providing the opportunity to gain industry-recognised qualifications, practical experience and new skills across a range of sectors and subjects. For those who are not currently in work the College also has a wide range of options to prepare people for employment, improve their CV and build the knowledge and experience needed to work in specific industries through apprenticeships and training for work courses.
Part Time Adult and Community Learning South Thames College, working with Wandsworth Council, offers hundreds of part time courses offering adults the opportunity of a great range of choice, some career focused, some for learning and some for fun!. Courses run in the evening and on Saturdays – “Make the most of Saturday” – over a range of time periods from 2 days up to 12 weeks. These include courses in accounting and finance, art, fashion and graphic design, business , law and professional studies, cake decorating and cookery, computing and IT, construction,
languages and writing, leisure and well-being, music and performing arts, professional and personal skills, sport and teaching. The College is committed to providing high quality and sustainable adult learning in order to improve the social, economic, health and wellbeing of Wandsworth Borough residents.
Access to Higher Education (HE) courses More than 200 mature learners every year join South Thames College’s range of Access to HE courses to achieve their belated ambitions to study at undergraduate level and prepare themselves for a different future. These one-year courses prepare students, generally, for the challenges of higher education by developing study, writing, research and numerical skills and provide an introduction to subject pathways including Business, Education and Teacher Training, Humanities & Social Science, Media, and Nursing.
Funding One of the most significant, of the many, barriers to study in later life is that of the funding and finance of the learning. Whilst the modern loan systems have their critics and their faults, for those studying for some professional courses, and Access to HE courses, the Advanced Learner Loan provides a different method of financing that learning. The finance arrangement has the advantage of avoiding up-front payment of tuition fee costs, repayment over an extended period after study has been completed, and the level of actual repayment is dependent upon levels of income. Indeed, those studying for an Access to HE course, who then progress to and complete an undergraduate course, will not have to repay their Advanced Learner Loan at all, as it is written off. Whilst the College’s part time courses incur a tuition fee discounts are available for those over the age of 60 and for those receiving certain benefits.
For further information about courses at South Thames College’s Wandsworth and Tooting sites please see the website; https://www.south-thames.ac.uk/adults.html and for details of Advanced Learner Loans please see the website indicated below; https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan Business Connexions | 23