Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill for work or pursue a personal passion, adult learning courses in Cambridge offer something for everyone
It’s undoubtedly true that our area comes complete with the strapline ‘seat of learning.’ Thanks to the cornucopia of adult educational opportunities, however, the seats in question cover a huge range of subjects. They’re not just the traditional variety that appear at swish high table events in ancient colleges; they’re just as likely to be three-piece suites re-covered by learners themselves courtesy of one of the popular DIY courses on offer – (like Parkside Federation Academies’ Upholstery for All classes, for example).
And while there’s an unparalleled tradition of education here, so ingrained that you can almost feel it in the air you breathe, the atmosphere is far from being either rarified or intimidating.
Each year, hundreds of adults decide to be part of our vibrant learning culture, signing up for courses that could lead just about anywhere – with almost limitless freedom over how, where and at what level they study.
That flexibility could well be one of the reasons adult education remains so popular. According to a 2015 survey looking at adult participation in learning, produced by NIACE (the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, now the Learning and Work Institute), the numbers of adult learners in the east of England increased by almost a tenth, up from 33{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46} to 42{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46}.
While these figures speak for themselves, pinning down mature students’ motivation for signing up to what can be a substantial commitment in terms of time and effort can be rather trickier. No wonder, given the sheer range of ages, interests and goals involved, agrees Jamie Matthews, head of communications at the Learning and Work Institute. “Reasons for participation vary greatly, reflecting the diversity of adults and their circumstances,” he says.
Local colleges certainly wouldn’t argue with that. “We get students from all over the world coming to our courses,” confirms Joshua Hatley at Madingley Hall, which is home to the Institute of Continuing Education. Its national – and international – appeal isn’t hard to understand, given its extensive range of non-accredited programmes which can be studied anywhere, as well as its International Summer Programmes which are held in Cambridge colleges during the long school summer holiday.
Since the first NIACE report into adult education appeared 20 years ago, one consistent UK trend has emerged. The higher your social class, the more likely you are to embark on a programme of study later in life. Over half of middle class and white-collar workers have taken part in some form of adult learning during the past three years, compared with just over a quarter of unskilled workers and people with limited incomes.
Yet at its most fundamental level, embarking on education as an adult can be hugely liberating – and won’t necessarily cost a penny.
Local learning centres at venues including the city’s Central Library offer a range of catch-up courses. Maths and English level one and two courses (up to GCSE level) cost nothing, while IT courses are free for the unemployed.
“They’re open to all ages and span the generations,” says Sarah Richardson, adult learning and skills performance manager at Cambridgeshire County Council. “We try to address the gaps. There’s an online basics course, for example, that targets people who have only rudimentary IT knowledge.”
Cambridge Regional College, too, is running free classes in the area again from autumn 2016, teaching essential English and maths skills from beginner all the way to GCSE level, with experienced, friendly tutors ensuring that the learners are well supported – and successful.
And perhaps unsurprisingly, career-enhancing courses at all levels tend to be a popular choice. According to the 2015 NIACE survey, over three-quarters of all learners sign up for work-related reasons – and almost half of full- or part-time workers who took part in the most recent survey have embarked on some form of adult learning over the past three years.
“People no longer stay in one career all their adult working life”
Madingley Hall offers courses in a variety of academic subjects from day schools and weekends right up to part-time master’s degrees with college affiliation.
Cambridge Regional College (CRC), meanwhile, is seeing ever-increasing numbers enrolling on job-boosting part-time courses, with management and professional qualifications in everything from engineering to care proving popular.
A big growth area at the college is Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) qualifications in human resource practice. With qualified HR professionals very much a 21st century business must-have, learners increasingly see investing in a course that covers employment, law and training and development in just 30 weeks as something that will pay off handsomely in the future. “They’re looking at a change in career or for the best way to improve their qualifications to help win promotion, and investing in training is an excellent way to move forward,” says CRC business training specialist Kay Gibson.
It’s all down to a new attitude to work. “People no longer stay in one career all their working life, and they want to make sure they have the right qualifications to progress into different fields,” she says.
A recent report from the Career Colleges Trust confirms just how expectations have shifted. The up-and-coming generation of workers assumes that the age of the job for life has gone forever. Instead, they see themselves as working in at least four different industries during their lifetimes – and reckon that acquiring new skills along the way is essential.
At Hills Road, counselling courses are continuing to prove a big hit with students – for very similar, career-related reasons. Sensibly, many start with what the college dubs its ‘toe in the water’ introductory course. “They take it to see if they’d want pursue a qualification in the field,” says a spokesperson. Many do take this step, with significant numbers going on to take level three and four courses, often funded through the government’s Advanced Learner Loans scheme.
That willingness to embrace change is a widespread phenomenon in our area – in some cases leading to a complete life makeover. A case in point is the stream of students enrolling at The Cambridge Flower School. An increasing number are professionals in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Since they’re going to be retiring at a later age, says senior tutor and business owner Sarah Clerke, they decide to switch to a job that they will really love – and where they can dictate their working patterns.
“We’ve had solicitors, nurses, a dentist, administrators, people from any walk of life,” she explains. “What they’re realising is that they don’t want to stop working but neither do they want to do a nine-to-five job any more. They want something that gives them some freedom, some creativity, and that they enjoy.”
Of course, not every adult learner has such revolutionary change in mind. The Institute of Continuing Education offers upskilling courses that help current employees hone their expertise in their current jobs. Targeted at everyone from scientists to teachers and with titles including ‘Right for your reader: brighter writing means better business,’ they are proving so popular that more courses have recently been introduced.
Language courses in our area are enjoying similar success. It’s clear that whatever the referendum results may suggest, here, at least, forging ever-closer links with our European neighbours remains a powerful motivation to sign up for classes.
Hills Road reports continued high levels of interest in its wide range of language courses, while La Dante, a not-for-profit, bilingual, cultural association offers immersive courses in Italian and English.
Students at La Dante may be hoping to forge better business relationships, buy a holiday home or even, for second- or third-generation immigrants, rediscover their national culture and language. And whether work or leisure related, courses are steeped in the Italian way of life. It’s an essential ingredient, says director Giulia Portuese-Williams. “You can’t learn a language without the culture. You need to be immersed.”
“Range of exciting and unusual courses reflects diverse interests”
For some students, adult education is about signing up for a single course with a specific, short-term goal in mind. Other enthusiasts with a particular passion sign up out of sheer love of the subject.
The range of exciting, unusual and sometimes quirky courses reflects the amazingly diverse range of interests among locals. At Hills Road, dressmaking and ballroom dancing courses are big hits, while the college is now running five ceramics courses a week (including one on Saturday) to cope with ever growing demand for these subjects.
Anecdotally, at least, TV shows such as The Great British Sewing Bee/Pottery Throw Down and of course, The Great British Bake Off are the catalyst for at least some of the new enrolments on these very hands-on, practical classes. However, there are no such obvious links when it comes to some of the more esoteric and highly cerebral courses on offer at Madingley Hall.
Students can opt for Classical Greek and Russian languages or a range of creative writing courses. Or for those who want their horizons not just broadened but quite possibly rebooted in a completely different dimension, why not try Whirlygigs and Fenland Tigers or Ethics of the (un)natural?
Even if these aren’t quite your bag, the astonishing array of courses in our area virtually guarantees that something else will be. From brushing up on basic skills to committing to the long haul of a part-time master’s degree, learning how to throw a pot or create a stunning outfit, the richness and range of subjects on offer to adult learners in our area is a mind-expanding treasure trove just waiting to be discovered. That first course can mark the start of a journey that can last a lifetime.
