Continuing Education for Adults

My first experience with continuing education was almost 30 years ago and was right off the back of a match-book cover.  Remember matches anyone?  Did I receive a degree or a diploma?  No I certainly did not.

What I did receive however, was an excellent job opportunity and a company funded continuing education program towards obtaining my “real” degree. Net result – over twenty years of a happy and satisfying career in the field now known as Human Resources.

I have been a true fan of continuing education over the years and have taken many different subjects. Some courses were just for fun, some resulted in certificates, one resulted in a diploma and one in a degree. I don’t consider any of my forays into further education to be of any more or less benefit than the others, because at the time, each suited my needs/requirements perfectly.

There are a few things to look for if you are considering on-line or Distance Education:

- Take a look at a few of your local community colleges & universities for ideas about course availability and cost. They have pretty much all joined the so called information age and offer many different programs. Remember, “local” doesn’t have to mean the college down the street anymore.  With Distance Education opportunities available today, you can be a student pretty much anywhere. 

- Decide what it is you want to accomplish (certificate, diploma, degree, etc) and match it to the schools you researched in the step above.

- The most important thing to remember is to check and double-check the schools accreditation. Proper accreditation insures your degree/diploma will get the full recognition it deserves.

Colleges and Universities you are already familiar with do of course, make this step redundant. Many people feel more comfortable
“staying close to home” for just this reason.

- Make use of all the available resources in your area to assist you with your research.  Your local Employment Centre can provide you with access to career & assessment counselors who will guide you through the entire process.  They also have up to date information regarding any bursaries, scholarships or government funded programs you may be qualified to receive.  There is no charge for
this service.

- Still not sure what you want to be when you grow up?  There are numerous on-line sites that provide a myriad of free aptitude tests to help you fit your personality to your chosen career path.  Even if you have no intention of taking a course, some of these tests are just plain fun to take!

- Do not discount the shorter courses offered through night school at most local high schools. These can be an invaluable and low-cost way to ensure your chosen profession is in reality something you should pursue. There is nothing more unsettling than getting part way through a high cost/no refund program and then discover you either hate it or it bores you to tears.

Regardless of whether you are enrolled in a correspondence course, attending night school, or contemplating an on-line degree program, you are a winner in my eyes.  It doesn’t matter if you are in this to advance your career, plan for a new career, or take a course just for the fun of it.  In my eyes, there can never be a down side to continuing your education or interests no matter what your age.

For many of us, this writing site is indeed nothing more than another avenue of continuing education, isn’t it?

FYI update: That matchbook cover correspondence school I mentioned in my opening paragraph?  They are still alive & well and now live on-line!