Mike Jenkins
These, days many of us are aware that higher education doesn’t always guarantee highly paid jobs. I have been lucky enough to study at A-Level, Further Education College, at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (one of London’s most prestigious and world renowned Drama Schools) and at The University of Greenwich where I obtained a PGCE teaching qualification in Post Compulsory Education and Training. And yet, I frequently meet people in trades that pay very well and where a University Education would be a barrier.
Take some of the building trades, for example. Or the motor trade, recruitment, sales and marketing and some of the newer industries where the right skills, knowledge, experience and attitudes can only be effectively learned on the job. And of course, many of the roles on offer in the military, emergency services and local authorities where good, stable salaries and workplace benefits and pensions can offer financial stability and access to good healthcare.
Some of the people I’ve met from well paid trades and professions have also experienced some of the most harrowing and traumatic life events imaginable. From serious violent crime and abuse, to drug and alcohol addictions that, in some cases, are perpetuated and enabled by the culture of the industries themselves.
A broader education and specialising in a subject at a higher level, as well as gaining the skills required to complete academic methods of assessment, can of course open the doors to a fulfilling and well paid career that sees people truly explore and make good use of their interests and potential. And yet, there is another, potentially far more valuable result on offer.
Time spent in higher education can also furnish people with the experience, knowledge, skills and crucially, a network of like minded others who are focused on similar goals, that can provide a clean break and a fresh start.
Recently, I met a lecturer from the University of Chichester who teaches on its Bridging Course, part of the wider From Adversity to University initiative. I had never heard of it and was interested to learn more.
The initiative is designed to create opportunities for people whose abilities and potential may not have been recognised, or whose circumstances have prevented them from following a conventional route into higher education.
The Bridging Course is taught in small groups, one evening a week. Through lectures, workshops and interactive discussions, participants develop academic knowledge and skills while drawing upon their own lived experience. Successful completion enables students to apply for degree courses at the University of Chichester.
Over the years, I have met many people who did not have the opportunity to fulfil their potential at school, college or university. Ability is not always recognised, and opportunity is certainly not equally distributed.
What strikes me about this initiative is that it offers more than a possible route towards a degree. It provides a supported way back into learning: an opportunity to build confidence, encounter new ideas, develop new relationships and become immersed in the exploration and adventure of study.
For anyone who is looking for a new direction in life, or who has experienced difficulties and adversity that interrupted their education, this sounds like a valuable opportunity to genuinely connect with your true potential in the company of others and to forge new circles of friends and associates.
Adversity need not mark the end of education. Sometimes, it can contain many of the most valuable life experiences that can form the beginning of a new chapter or even an entirely different story.
The University of Chichester is a public university located in West Sussex, England, which became a university in 2005. Campuses are based in the city of Chichester and the nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis and an associate campus for commercial music on the Isle of Wight. (Ref: Wikipedia)
Address: University of Chichester, College Ln, Chichester PO19 6PE
Founded: 1839
Phone: 01243 816000
Website: https://www.chi.ac.uk