It is never too late to learn

The financial crises the world witnessed these past two years were a wake-up call for many of us. Once again, we have seen that it is no longer tenable to shut the door to further learning when one completes compulsory education.

Some students leave school without enough qualifications to pursue their dream course at the University, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology or the Institute of Tourism Studies. Others may end with qualifications that do not reflect their real abilities. Alternatively, there are those who do not have the required qualifications for promotion in their current job.

The Directorate for Lifelong Learning within the Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family offers a second chance opportunity for all.

More than 500 programmes in 150 different courses are offered in various centres across Malta and Gozo. The courses range from academic subjects leading to Matsec exams at all levels, ICT courses, to programmes that focus on developing skills in a wide variety of crafts.

There are 20 new courses; among these are programmes in four different languages: Chinese, Latin, Russian and Swedish.

Other subjects aimed at improving key competencies in life to enrich productivity and quality of life are also being included for the first time. These new programmes are: consumer rights; creative thinking; financial investment; health and wellbeing; healthy ageing; how to start up a business; human resources management; pension and retirement planning and research skills.

Two other additions are basic courses in motor vehicle mechanics and in stone carving.

This year, the Lifelong Learning Programme is also offering a weekly encounter with Maltese leading authors.

The Directorate for Lifelong Learning also offers courses in cultural expression through the School of Art, Drama and Music.

Most courses are held in the evening, although a number of morning sessions are held at the Lifelong Learning Centre in Msida. This year, more local councils are expected to be active participants in this adult learning programme through a generous scheme launched jointly by the Education Ministry and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Government. The aim of this partnership is to take learning closer to the community. This follows the Directorate’s philosophy to continue to lift the barriers for participation so that the overall volume of involvement in adult learning is increased and the imbalances in participation are addressed in order to achieve more equity.

A total of 9,890 adult learners participated in the programmes offered during 2009-2010. This represented a 32 per cent increase over the previous year. Ages ranged considerably. As expected, the main cohort was made up of learners between 16 and 30 years. But these programmes attracted a significant number of persons over 60 (eight per cent of the learners enrolled), including one who was 88 years old.

Various success stories may be told.

One mother decided to enrol with the initial sole intention to support her daughter who wanted to sit for the Matsec in Maltese, which she needed to join her preferred course at the University. The mother enjoyed the course and she too sat for the exam. Both passed.

Nobody can foretell the future but the writing on the wall is that, by the end of this decade, there will be a significant drop in the demand for jobs that require low skills while there shall be a sharp rise in jobs which will demand high qualifications.

Moreover, it is now inevitable that we shall undergo longer working lives. Consequently, we shall need to acquire and develop new skills throughout the lifetime. Therefore, we need to internalise the philosophy that it’s never too late to learn. The adult learning programme is one opportunity that cannot be missed.

Visit the website www.eveningcourses.gov.mt for more details. Registrations are open between today and September 3.

The author is director of the Lifelong Learning Programme.