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More adults sign up for flexible learning at College
Cornwall College Camborne has seen a rise in the number of adults enrolling on literacy and numeracy courses recently, in a bid to improve their skills and potentially their job prospects.
Over the last year, staff in the College's Continuing and Community Education faculty have reported a significant increase in student numbers, resulting in the College offering more flexible learning sessions in an effort to accommodate the new learners. The sessions mean that adults wanting to gain a literacy or numeracy qualification can choose to drop in to continue their work at a time convenient to them.
Tim Woolcock, Curriculum Area Manager for the faculty, said: "We've been amazed at the increase in numbers we've experienced over the past year and the extra flexible learning sessions have also proved to be very popular. A number of our learners are now considering enrolling on other courses with the College as a direct result of successfully completing their courses, which has also boosted their confidence levels immensely."
Leanne Forder, who is 31 from Camborne and just completing her Literacy Basic Skills Level 1 course, said: "I've definitely gained more confidence since I started coming to the sessions because initially I would never have come on my own, but now I feel able to. Hopefully I can now get a better job or even start college full-time. I can now even help my son more with his homework!"
Sarita Watson, 25 from Pool, who has just completed her Numeracy Basic Skills Level 2 and Literacy Basic Skills Level 2 courses at the College, said: "Having left school without any qualifications and having two young children at home, I've found it extremely hard to find a course that is flexible enough for me, what with work and looking after my children. I needed to get my basic skills in English and maths which will help me to get the job I want. These sessions have been great for me as I'm getting the qualification I need but they're flexible enough that they don't interfere with all my other responsibilities. If this flexible learning session wasn't available then I really don't know how I would have managed to progress with my career otherwise."
The College plans to continue running flexible learning sessions for adult learners throughout the forthcoming academic year, as well as additional evening classes in GCSE English and maths to coincide with the Government's plans to make studying these GCSEs free of charge for anyone who does not already hold a Grade C or above.
Tim continued: "We anticipate a further increase in numbers from September following the Government's announcement and are fully prepared to put on extra sessions if we get sufficient numbers, although it's advisable to book early to guarantee a place."
Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College, said: "At Cornwall College we feel that everyone should have access to a great education, no matter what stage they're at in life. Our aim is to support our learners as much as possible and our staff are always prepared to go the extra mile in order to help them achieve their goals."
