As we enter Adult Learners week (15th-21st September), CAVC celebrates the thousands of adults who learn with the College each year to develop their skills, progress or change their career.
In 2024-25, more adults than ever took advantage of the courses the College offers to help achieve their goal.
As one of the largest colleges in the UK, CAVC offers a huge range of courses along with the environment and support for adults learning alongside work, life and other commitments. And there’s a range of funding available to help adults learn for free or at a reduced cost.
The vast offer to adults includes courses to develop essential skills and return to learning; Access courses that allow fast-track entry to university; professional industry qualifications to help people to address or change their career; innovative opportunities to learn the newest technology and developments to support or diversify work and university courses to immerse yourself in a subject and qualify for a profession. So, whatever the goal, there’s a course to open the door to the career you want.
David Murphy wanted to return to education and go to university. He took a one-year intensive Access course, which is designed as a fast track to university. David chose Access to Social Sciences, but other subjects include Nursing, Bioscience, Computing, Early Years Teaching, Health Sciences and Humanities.
“I really enjoyed my time studying at CAVC,” David said. “It was great to get another opportunity to go on to Higher Education; a truly life-changing experience.”
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses develop essential skills in English, Maths and Digital Skills. Bafra Sabir studied ESOL with CAVC, progressed on to Access to Biosciences and is now studying Chemical Engineering at Swansea University.
“What I truly valued about CAVC was the supportive environment,” Bafra said. “The staff were encouraging and the resources on campus made all the difference.”
The College also offers a huge range of Part-Time and Professional courses to help people progress or change their career, including respected professional industry qualifications for a wide range of sectors. Courses start throughout the year.
Harris Stone took a CIPD Diploma in Strategic People Management. He said: “The College feels really inclusive; the course was brilliant and the opportunities you get from doing a qualification like this are endless.”
Jennifer Lewis studied a Diploma In Therapeutic Counselling. She said: “After a career in the legal sector, I decided to retrain to a career in counselling. It has been wonderful to be able to use everything I’ve learnt in my new career. The College has absolutely helped me to achieve my ambitions.”
You can also study one of Cardiff and Vale College’s wide range of Higher Education courses to study for a degree.
Lauren Willacott took a Higher Apprenticeship in Construction and the Built Environment. She said: “The environment in really friendly and the teachers and really experience so they know all about every aspect of the industry. It has been great to progress my career, learning whilst working. I’m really proud to have graduated.”
To find out more about vast range of opportunities CAVC can offer adult learners, visit: https://cavc.ac.uk/en/cavc-for/adults