How adult learners are different
Are you an adult learner considering completing a diploma, Certificate IV, or similar qualification? It’s a good idea to consider that adult learners need courses tailored to meet specific needs such as:
- Demanding jobs with limited spare time
- Fitting in study time with family requirements
- Being new to the study/learning environment, or having a significant amount of time passed since previous study
The solution is finding a course that works for you, not against you
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Finding a course that works for you
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Recognition of your experience
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Supportive and accessible coaching
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Flexibility in the time required to complete
Make sure you look for a course and institution that best meets your academic goals and fits with your lifestyle. You want a course that provides:
Your skills and experience gained over many years in the workplace give you a unique background. You’re not necessarily starting from the same position that a student straight out of school or university would. Find a that aims to ‘fill the gaps’ in your knowledge, while being thorough and high quality.
You deserve to be more than a number. As an adult, you have real challenges in a real world. Look for expert adult coaching that understands your circumstances.
You may start your study part-time and decide to switch to full-time or vice-versa. The best courses for adult learners allow for flexible and seamless changes to delivery.
So, if you’re weighing up study options, be sure that the course and the institution you select is one you can trust to meet both your academic and lifestyle needs.
The importance of qualifications in the Australian job market
Employers are increasingly seeking workers with formal academic qualifications.
62% of the working population of Australia already have a qualification at certificate level or higher.1It is evident that a candidate’s qualifications are now a major deciding factor for employers looking to recruit staff.
Getting qualified the smart way
The good news is that if you’re an experienced, mature worker, you can complete a Diploma in six to twelve months. This means being able to skip the Bachelor degree altogether. From here you go on to complete your Graduate Certificate, which can lead straight to a Masters program. An adult student can effectively achieve the first year of a Masters program for less time and money than it would cost to complete an undergraduate Degree!
The real cost of not achieving a qualification
On average, employers are paying up to $10,000 a year, or even more in salaries for formally qualified employees. Today’s workforce is highly competitive, and face value experience is rarely enough to guarantee well-deserved promotions or pay rises.
Therefore, the opportunity cost for every year that an adult delays their qualification over their working life is significant.
Do you realise that you could potentially earn an extra $50,000 over the next five years with that qualification behind you, or $100,000 over the next ten years?
Recruiting your boss to support you
Investing your time and finances in a credible qualification now will give you a substantial advantage in years to come. Many employers see the benefit to their business in upskilling existing staff. A savvy employer will subsidise costs and allow time for on-the-job learning, knowing it will have a positive impact on the bottom line. Provide your employer with a course guide that contains all the relevant information your boss needs to make an easy decision.
Enquire below to get your free course guide packed full of information about the qualifications, study time-frames, skills and outcomes.
Decide to start today
Make this the year you stopped considering doing a Certificate IV or Diploma as an adult learner and decided to begin. Imagine where a qualification, more job satisfaction, and increased income could take you!
- 2017 census [↩]