FROM Ceramics to Vehicle Maintenance for Women, Coleg Gwent is now home to a host of new part-time courses to support adults hoping to take on a new challenge or career path in 2024.

The courses are now available across all campuses.

One adult learner from Newport, Lauren Goodland, made the decision to return to Coleg Gwent and enrol on the part-time Women in Construction course after buying her first house.

Her aim was to learn the skills needed to renovate the property independently, rather than hiring professionals.

She said: “When I bought my house, I realised that it was going to need a lot of renovation and after doing some research it became clear that the most cost-effective option was to actually study and learn the skills myself.

“It has occasionally been hard to motivate myself to go to class after a full day in work but it’s always worth the effort — I love that I’m gaining so much confidence and developing new skills.”

Learners like Lauren are taking their personal and career development into their own hands by signing up to these part-time courses.

They are all of part of the post-pandemic phenomenon of adults returning to education and up-skilling — with a recent survey conducted by the Learning and Works Institute showing that almost one in two adults have taken part in learning in the last three years.

Aiming to pursue her dream career as an accountant, Viktoria Horvathne Csuhai, has also enrolled on the AAT Bookkeeping part-time course at the college.

Viktoria said: “Growing up in Hungary, my maths teacher said that accountancy wasn’t for me but when I moved to the UK, I decided to take learning into my own hands.

“At first, I found it tricky to manage everything but my strong support network and the fantastic tutors at Coleg Gwent have helped me to thrive and establish a great balance. I believe this is the first step in a new direction for me.”

Deputy Principal at Coleg Gwent, Nikki Gamlin said: “Supporting adult learners is one of our priorities here at Coleg Gwent.  We understand that there are challenges which can make returning to study feel overwhelming for adults, but our flexible courses and support services can help everyone pursue their passion.”

Many of Coleg Gwent’s courses are free, meaning that adults can learn, get qualified and progress in their careers without needing to worry about the financial implications. If there are associated costs with a chosen course, funding support is available.

To find out more about the courses for adults available now at Coleg Gwent, visit: https://www.coleggwent.ac.uk/your-year