Local college dispel the myths around studying as an adult

A new campaign has been launched to help adults whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Youtrainyougain is a month-long campaign across South Essex to promote the opportunities available to adults wishing to retrain or upskill.

UK data released last month clearly demonstrated the significant impact the virus is having on the labour market already with over 600,000 people being  taken off payroll between March and May, many of these in South Essex. While we don’t know the exact impact, many job roles will change or be harder to come by, and people may need to think differently about what they do next.

The campaign is a partnership between ACL Essex, Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Southend Adult Community College, South Essex College, Rochford District Council, Basildon Council, Thurrock Adult Community College and Thurrock Council.

#youtrainyougain has been set up to dispel the myths around adult education. A new website has been launched with instant information about South Essex providers and information for adults about getting back into education.

Ian Lewis from Opportunity South Essex, a public-private board which supports businesses in the county, said:

“We conducted research into the barriers that adults face in getting back into education. This revealed that more than 60% of adults felt the cost of education was a barrier when the reality is that many courses on offer, particularly to those who are unemployed, are free or low cost. In addition, for higher level courses, adults are able to access adult learner loans which spread the cost of them retraining.

“We also found that adults wanted flexibility, either through fully online courses or through blended courses that are a mixture of face to face and online. We wish to raise awareness that providers across South Essex are now offering these types of courses”.

Watch out during the next month for information about opportunities, courses and events connected to the #youtrainyougain campaign or visit the website at www.youtrainyougain.org.