By Telford College principal Graham Guest

One of the biggest changes in society since the Covid lockdown has been a desire to build much greater flexibility into our lives.

Many of us no longer want to be tied to a rigid nine-to-five structure, constantly behind our desks when some work could be done just as productively from home.

For educators, one of the big challenges is to make sure we are constantly in step with these changes. We need to deliver what local employers and employees need – at the time and in the way they need it.

Adult education is one of our big focal points at Telford College this year. We recognise that a significant number of people are looking to upskill, reskill, or completely change career direction right now, and that’s why our course offering is growing and diversifying all the time.

We’re currently laying on evening courses for those who are juggling busy lifestyles, providing free breakfasts for adults whose courses start early, and giving our adult learners access to IT equipment in our student hub.

Our adult courses run across many areas, from maths and English to accounting, hairdressing, healthcare, HR, science, and much more.

And in September, we are launching new degree-level courses which will help to upskill the local workforce, including level five HND courses in business, and healthcare professions support.

You’ll find more details about all of these on our website, www.telfordcollege.ac.uk.

But you can also gain a valuable qualification without even setting foot on our campus.

Our distance learning courses give you the ultimate flexibility and freedom to study on your own terms.

Not only that, but they come with the added bonus of no course fees . . . all we need is your commitment! Most courses run for 12 weeks, and you can enrol at any time.

What’s available? Everything from business administration, customer service and equality & diversity, to safeguarding in education, counselling skills, dementia care, personal exercise, health and nutrition.

Finally, if you’re a business with an interest with issues around electrification and sustainability, June 22 is a date for your diary. Telford College will be hosting a major regional conference, bringing some top speakers to our Wellington campus for an evening of thought-provoking debate.

• You can find more information about this here