Demand is soaring for short courses, from drumming to shoe-making, which is great news for colleges and universities.
This phenomena is thought to be down to people wanting to ensure financial stability in a tough economic climate, either through exercising different skills in a portfolio career, or learning new skills for a career move.
The London College of Fashion has experienced a growth in the number of students enrolled on short courses and Linda Roberts, Senior Business Manager explained that:
"The current working environment means far more people are signing up for short courses to invest in themselves. . . . When the crunch hit a few years ago, students began telling tutors they wanted to take more control over their lives and didn't want to be at the mercy of their employers. They wanted extra skills and resources up their sleeve to help stay financially afloat. That sense has only grown since then."
Natalie James, 33, spent £800 and nine Wednesday evenings learning fashion and editorial makeup at the college. Despite having a full time job in advertising she explained: "Thousands of people were losing their jobs every day, with many looking at ways to transfer their skills". She further highlighted that since studying at the college she had been able to build up a portfolio of work and establish contacts in the industry. Since studying the course she has begun combining her work in advertising with teaching her own makeup lessons and is planning on launching her own consultancy.
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