Courses for Forces - Soldiers turn to studying online
Online education specialist, Kaplan Open Learning, has seen an influx of ex-service men and women completing a degree course to further a new career.
Leaving the Services through retirement or injury can often leave an individual with feelings of uncertainty or lack of motivation for their future outside of the world they have been used to. An increasing number of students who study through Kaplan Open Learning have been in that exact situation and decided to study a subject of interest to them, helping create personal goals and in some cases even a whole new career to work hard for.
The experience of living through the strict regime of Army life helped one student choose to study a degree in Criminal Justice. Stuart Harris found himself nearing retirement this year and discovered an online course from Kaplan Open Learning would be a great fit for his skills. Stuart’s ultimate aim was to put something back into society by becoming a Social Worker, so by gaining a degree in Criminal Justice he is now able to apply for an MSc in Social Work.
Stuart comments: “Alongside my study I wanted to inspire some of the junior soldiers within my unit so I started by encouraging them to look at education as a lifelong path to enhancement, by attending short education courses. I have been fortunate with the support of my employer who was very receptive to the Work Based Learning Project. This has subsequently been incorporated into the training syllabus for new Civil Servant Geographic Specialists. I involved others around me to spread the word about learning and developing yourself through education.
“Studying for my degree has opened up my eyes to a whole new world that now inspires me to learn, and be all that I can be. I have found that after many years away from formal education, it is never too late to develop yourself both mentally and spiritually, setting goals and reflecting upon who you are.”
Stuart graduated in Colchester on the 22nd July this year and is one of hundreds of inspiring men and women to make the decision to study and carve a whole new career. Popular courses are Criminal Justice and Business and Management, both opening up a wide variety of new careers for students.
Louise Howells, Kaplan Open Learning, explains how new students can often have reservations about starting a course: “We see a lot of ex-service men and women come to us not knowing what to expect and doubting whether they can get back into the swing of studying after so long in a different environment. Very quickly their doubts have disappeared as they realised how different it is learning online. Students report thoroughly enjoying researching and writing about their chosen subject and many go on to complete further qualifications with us in the future.”
Business and Management, and Criminal Justice courses begin from the 23rd August 2011.
For more information, visit kaplanopenlearning.org.uk.
