ADULT EDUCAT ION
CAMBR IDGE ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP Adult Learn and Train courses at Cambridge Academic Partnership run throughout the year. Some are training-focused, others linked more to leisure. Running at three venues across the city centre, they’re designed to offer mental stimulation, physical wellbeing, a career boost – or a mixture of all three. New courses this spring range from ballroom dancing to fish and seafood cookery, forensic science to make-up skills, and frommaths function skills to beginner’s patchwork and quilting. On a very different note, the importance of addressing mental health issues is reflected in a course on anxiety coping strategies. One of Cambridge Academic Partnership’s biggest areas of strength is its English and maths courses, which have proved highly successful and are increasingly popular. Students can sign up for everything from functional skills through to GCSEs, with a new maths course running from January at Coleridge Community College. Feedback from learners praises the inspirational teaching that encourages them to keep going and gain the confidence to learn new skills. ‘I love it’ seems to be the most frequent remark. All courses can be booked online. They take place during the day and evening throughout the week or on Saturdays and at weekends and span a mind-boggling range, so they’re compatible with today’s busy lifestyles and commitments, says Joanne King, Adult Learn and Train manager. “Learners come to our courses not only for the tutor’s expertise, but also to improve their health, build better relationships, gain independence or confidence and progress both in life and work.”
HILLS ROAD Last term, 1,250 adult learners signed up for courses at Hills Road. This spring, there are 126 on offer, spanning Arabic to yoga, and they’re likely to prove just as popular. The college’s 15 language courses attract the biggest numbers of all, with 600 students last term. From this spring, Persian and Catalan have also been added, bringing the total number of languages on offer to 17 – the broadest range offered by any provider in the Cambridgeshire area, according to the college. Enrolments open a month or so before the start of the new term – though if there’s still room, it may be possible to sign up just after the term has started. For long courses (of 12 weeks or longer) it’s possible to pay in two instalments (and employers can also pay for courses direct). Some of those considering adult education this year will be among the 15 per cent of Brits whose new New Year’s resolutions includes rethinking their careers.
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C A M B S E D I T I O N . C O . U K
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