46% of the student body, over 2,000 students, at South Lanarkshire College are studying a course around their lifestyle by learning part-time. This demonstrates the demand for college courses which fit around life choices such as full-time jobs, caring commitments and social lives.
South Lanarkshire College know that full-time study can be out of the question for many and applicants can choose to study in ways which suit their busy lifestyles. In many cases a part-time course can take longer to complete than a full-time course, however students will continue to cover the same syllabus, assignments, classes and exams as full-time students, meaning that students get a same great experience, knowledge and skills whilst studying flexibly to meet their needs.
One such student is Fraser Linton, Fraser spoke of his time on the part-time course stating “I recently completed my HNC in Childhood Practice at South Lanarkshire College after deciding I’d like a change in career. I chose to study at the College because it offered me the flexibility to complete the course on a part-time basis, two nights a week while I was still working”
Since graduating in 2020, Fraser’s gone on to secure full-time employment as an Early Years Worker at Avondale Early Learning & Childcare, quite the change from his previous role as an Assistant Manger of a Leisure Centre. Fraser’s loving his new role and is delighted to have chosen a career path change via a part-time course route.
Part-time courses at South Lanarkshire College are delivered in a variety of ways, if students choose to study part-time day, they will be offered infill opportunities across a range of full-time courses. This means students can study individual modules from a full- time course, daytime or online to suit current commitments.
Another popular mode of study is evening classes. Evening study enables students to complete their course after their working day, usually 1 of 2 evenings a week. Also, many people find evenings to be a more a productive time of day, since knowledge learned during the evening can be absorbed without distractions.
Students at South Lanarkshire College frequently choose part-time study to gain additional skills relevant to their field of work. Taking up additional studies on top of office hours can be challenging but it can also be motivational, enabling students to fast-track their career, boost their confidence and increase their sense of achievement.
Olivia Usher recently completed her HNC in Quantity Surveying at South Lanarkshire College as part of the College’s part-time programme, Olivia said “Being in College part-time gave me the opportunity to learn in the classroom one day a week, while gaining practical skills on site the rest of the time. I felt this best of both worlds approach really benefited me, as I got to see the theory, I was learning in the classroom being used in the real world of work”.
Olivia completed her HNC in 2020 and is now working full-time as a Quantity Surveying Assistant for a bricklaying company.
There are also a range of SVQ and work-based learning opportunities at the college, with many fully funded courses under initiatives such as the National Transition Training Fund and Flexible Work Workforce Development Fund. These funds are available to employers and employees allowing those in employment the opportunity to upskill in their chosen field.
From Construction Management to Care Services and Maths to Maternity Services, South Lanarkshire College has a part-time to course to suit everyone. To find out more about the opportunities available visit
www.slc.ac.uk/part-time-courses
This article appears as part of The Herald's The Future Of Education campaign, in association with South Lanarkshire College.
If you would like to become a partner in our Future of Education Series, contact Stephen McDevitt, Head of Digital and Branded Content campaign@heraldandtimes.co.uk
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