Surprise yourself with Part-time courses at NESCol

July 16, 2021

The NESCol part-time guide for 21/22 courses running from late August onwards has been launched online – showcasing opportunities to upskill, reskill and have some fun.

Enrolling on a short course with NESCol can often lead to surprising results.

Joanna Nicholson was a complete beginner to the evening class in joinery and wanted to acquire basic skills to enable her to do jobs around the house. The class project was for each student to make a door – building the frame, the door and the hinges. Joanna got much more out of the course than expected.

She said: “I’ve been so surprised by the meditative qualities of working with wood and it’s such an antidote to digital life. Nothing’s been done with a computer or calculator, it’s all with your eye and the feel of the natural materials.”

Joanna’s earnings had dropped because of the impact of the Covid pandemic which meant she was eligible for funding for the course.

She added: “It has been amazing. There are eight of us in the class, all different ages and backgrounds. It’s been really interesting to meet everyone.”

A part-time course can often lead to an alternative career path as Karen Watson experienced when she applied for the eight week Introduction to Sport and Exercise Massage course last year.

Karen said: “It was really fun, enjoyable and great to meet new people. It was mainly practical with some theory around physiology and anatomy of the body. I never dreamt of a different career path but I just got completely hooked. I progressed onto a further evening class at a higher level – Sports and Exercise Massage at SCQF Level 6 – before deciding to return to College to study the full time HNC Soft Tissue Therapy course. I have recently completed my HNC and I am now self-employed on a part-time basis as a sports massage therapist.”

Within the new guide are a wealth of courses – from learning a new language, photography, getting to grips with social media and podcasting – which are based at NESCol campuses and learning centres in Aberdeen, Ellon and Fraserburgh.

Joy Aiken, Community Development Manager added: “We will also be running courses in Inverurie, we are finalising the programme and details will be announced soon.”

The programme has been developed to provide skills for employment as well as leisure options. Many online courses are offered through distance learning and can be undertaken at a time that suits. A full range of the courses can be found here alongside information on available funding.