Telford College is showcasing its range of adult education courses next week – highlighting the fact that it’s never too late to learn or change career direction.
The event, at the college’s Haybridge campus from 5-7pm on September 7 is a chance to talk to staff about course choices, meet the expert tutors, find out about funding, and apply or reserve a place.
Options include business, computing, engineering, health and social care, early years services, accounting and teaching assistant courses, with a range of HND, HNC and Foundation Degree choices.
Caroline Bastow, learner manager for access and higher education, said: “If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that we always need to be adapting, and learning.
“Our adult education courses are perfect for those who need to upskill, re-skill, or take a complete change of career direction.”
With skills shortages being reported in some of Shropshire’s most important business sectors, making people understand they can do an apprenticeship at any age is essential.
That’s the view of Telford businesswoman Hollie Whittles, Director of Purple Frog Systems and West Midlands Regional Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
She has just completed a CIPD Level 5 Diploma in Human Resource Management through an apprenticeship with Telford College and has just been accepted on the Postgraduate Level 7 Diploma in Strategic People Management & Human Resources with the University of Wolverhampton.
“I wanted to gain a specialist diploma to help with my job, and even though I already have a BA (hons) degree in Business Studies, you can do an apprenticeship at any age,” she said.
“Apprenticeships are great for career progression. No one knows everything, so getting to share knowledge and learn from other people was brilliant.
“Having a certified CIPD qualification was a big incentive to complete this apprenticeship. It’s something I should have done 10-20 years ago. I wanted to do it to validate what I already knew.”
Hollie said the enrolment process with Telford College was very easy – and her company has continued its links with the college through other apprenticeship schemes.
“Being able to do an apprenticeship in my own business for the qualification was so convenient; we received brilliant support to help us implement this.
“I wanted to start this apprenticeship to network with others in the same situation as me and in industry.
“My Telford College tutor, Anne Dollaghan, got everybody into the swing of things as we had our lessons via Teams. After we all got used to the environment, it was as if we were in the same room.
“I really enjoyed learning specialist knowledge and completing the research and readings. It was really fun getting to write an essay again!”
Hollie added: “We have recently recruited an apprentice to do a Level 3 in Business Administration, it is a chance to invest in someone and watch them grow.
“Through apprenticeships, we hope to encourage young people into IT and develop them in house to make them experts in our niche corner of the industry. We want them to stay and succeed.”
For more information about the Telford College adult education open event, or to register, see https://www.telfordcollege.ac.uk/adult-open-event-7th-september/
