AN GRIANAN adult education college in Co Louth has a small number of places remaining on five of its courses which begin on the morning of December 2nd and run until December 6th.
Those in a panic about festive food may be interested the Christmas cookery course, while those in need of "chilling out" before the big event could spend five relaxing days doing yoga.
Those with nimble fingers have the opportunity to try their hand at candlewick embroidery or soft toys and novelty crafts while the energetic can polish up their dancing shoes for five days of set dancing. The courses are residential with full board and cost £125. For information telephone (041) 22119 or fax (041) 22690.
The prospect of facing into three or four years of study to gain a third-level qualification is enough to put many adult learners off the idea of going to college for good. This is especially true for those who have been in the workplace for a long time and whose knowledge of a particular industry or sector is such that they feel it would be a waste of time studying subjects they already know a great deal about.
A "fast-track" solution for such people may be the prior experiential learning scheme from the National Council for Educational Awards which acknowledges that mature students may already have a rich bank of knowledge and skills which constitute prior "learning."
The scheme applies to NCEA-approved courses at NCEA-designated institutions around the country and it takes account of what people have learned working in the home, through their jobs and through involvements with voluntary or community organisations.
Especially-trained personnel at 42 NCEA-designated colleges around the country are qualified to assess this learning which may entitle a prospective student to exemptions or credits from subjects on approved courses.
The scheme is open to prospective students from all backgrounds and to those working inside or outside the home. In practice, a long serving employee in the food industry might qualify for exemptions on a course leading to a qualification in food science, while an engineering worker could achieve credits against an engineering qualification and a stay-at-home parent could enrol on a childcare course using their own child-rearing experience as a backdrop.
The scheme has deliberately been kept as wide open as possible to encourage participation and each application is considered on its own merits.
If you are interested in following up on the scheme, the best advice is to check with your local NCEA institution to see what courses it offers which might suit your needs and if you qualify for the scheme.
The NCEA is based in Dublin and it produces a directory of NCEA-designated courses and institutions which gives a good outline of the types of courses it supports and where they are available.
The NCEA can be contacted at 26 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, on (01) 855 6526 or fax (01) 855 4250.
