EducateLondon.co.uk

Trade Courses and Apprenticeships

Forget letters after their name, British parents are rooting for vocational qualifications to recession-proof their children’s employment chances.

Research by independent education foundation, Edge, finds that while the economy has taken a downturn, the value of vocational qualifications’ ‘career currency’ has increased – more than four fifths of parents of 11-19 year-olds now believe it’s important for their child to have a vocational qualification.

Of these, 40% of parents said it will make their child more employable, get a job quicker, earn a better pay packet (26%) and generally be more recession proof (20%) - plus one in four thinks it will put their offspring in a better position to be their own boss. Topping the entrepreneurial career charts for the country’s parents in order of ranking is IT, followed by marketing in second place, and catering/hospitality, finance and insurance in joint third.

Spring/Summer Learning

Running this year from 26 June to 6 August 2009, Middlesex University Summer School offers courses ranging from one day to five weeks in duration, with choices from introductory to more advanced levels. Many courses can be studied for academic credit, while others are designed for those interested in developing creative, personal or professional interests. A whole variety of subjects from arts and languages to history and psychology are on the syllabus and last summer over 1000 students from a variety of backgrounds registered across nearly 90 courses.

Courses in the downturn

More and more Londoners are choosing to recession proof their futures by taking additional qualifications. Whether it’s to help you change career direction or simply ensure you stay on top of your game, courses with New Year start dates are proving popular with switched-on students who don’t want to hang around to see what the job market looks like in September.