Adults Returning To Study Empowered To Overcome Barriers

Though it may feel daunting to return to the classroom as an adult, the opportunities for personal and professional advancement are immeasurable and should not be underestimated.

Seasoned educator and Lead Trainer of Early Childhood Education and Care at Macquarie Community College, provides insightful guidance for adults considering further education.

Identify your objectives. What motivates your return to academia?

Skill assessment - which competencies do you need to bridge the gap to your desired career?

Explore educational pathways - delve into the array of certificates, diplomas and degrees available.

Select the right institution - seek a reputable college that accommodates your personal commitments.

Financial planning - gain clarity on the investment required for your education, explore smart and skilled providers who can offer subsidised training.

Ms Bryant said Macquarie Community College currently had 500 students enrolled in the Early Childhood courses, the biggest crop they’d seen since introducing the course in 2017.

“They are aged from 16 years to 65 years,” Ms Bryant said.

“The majority are in the middle aged years who have changed industry due to COVID or their children have grown up.”

Ms Bryant said that the biggest hurdle her middle-aged students currently faced was their ability to complete the work placement blocks required by the course.

“They need to complete 160 to 280 hours of work placement,” Ms Bryant said.

“I offer the flexibility for them to do their hours during school holidays or during school hours.

“I allow them to make reasonable adjustments to that.”

Ms Bryant said another area some of them struggled with was technology and the college now uses an online learner management system.

Some students have no laptop or the laptop they have is used by their child who needs it for school.

Some, generally those in the lower socio-economic demographic, or those who have never worked before, are daunted by the 5-day week, 8-hour day block situation.

As well as physical barriers, emotional and mental walls can feel insurmountable.

Those mental doors include things like feeling guilty at leaving their family at home to fend for themselves for dinner or failing to meet all of their cultural expectations, particularly for ESOL students.

With half a dozen male students, Ms Bryant said she never revealed the gender of her students when organising their work placements.

“I don’t believe that people should be discriminated against because of their gender,” she said.

She acknowledged that there was still a little stigma still attached to men working in Early Childhood, which tends to surprise her because society doesn’t tend to relate to men in the primary school arena in the same way.

• Topics:

• Education