Education and training opportunities
There are lots of opportunities to develop your learning, either informally with free online resources, like this course or through local courses and tasters, which may be run through your local carers’ centre or adult education provider. Local colleges also offer a programme of adult education classes.
| OpenLearn (Open University) | A website with 10,000 hours of free learning content including video, audio and short courses. | www.open.edu/ openlearn | |||
| OpenLearn Cymru (Open University in Wales) | A bilingual website with free courses available in English and Welsh including the What about me? course. | www.open.edu/ openlearncymru | |||
| FutureLearn | A website with a range of courses offered free by different universities. | www.futurelearn.com | |||
| BBC Skillswise | A free website with courses and activities to improve your writing, maths and IT skills. | www.bbc.co.uk/ skillswise | |||
| WEA Cymru | The largest provider of adult community learning in Wales. Provides courses in local community venues. | www.weacymru.org.uk | |||
| Local further education colleges | Many local further education colleges offer community learning courses. | This website lists all the colleges in Wales and through this you can link to their websites. The colleges in North and Mid Wales cover large areas and have many local centres. | |||
| Learn Direct Wales/Cymru | Various online courses, some of which are free of charge | www.learndirect.co.uk/ wales-eng/ | |||
General information about university and higher education study | |||||
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| UCAS | A comprehensive website that provides information about full-time university study and courses; getting started, finding a course, applying and finance and support. While this is a useful website, it deals with full-time higher education study. If you want to study part time at a university, you are advised to contact the specific university directly. | www.ucas.com | |||
Studying formally with The Open University You can study at undergraduate and postgraduate level with The Open University. We also have Access courses for learners who want to build their confidence and skills before they start undergraduate study. Study at The Open University is part time and flexible so it can be fitted around your caring role and other responsibilities. Students can also take a break between modules and build up their qualifications at a pace to suit them. | |||||
| The Open University | This is the main Open University website. Explore our courses and qualifications, funding and financial support and what it’s like to be a student with the OU. | Contact: 029 2047 1170 Email: Wales@open.ac.uk | |||
| The Open University Careers Advisory Service | This is a useful website to explore potential career options linked to OU courses and qualifications. | www.open.ac.uk/ careers | |||
Careers information | |||||
| Careers Wales | A comprehensive careers website for people living in Wales. It’s for all ages and abilities and has information on jobs, courses and apprenticeships. It’s a bilingual interactive site with specific information relevant to careers and opportunities in Wales. | www.careerswales.com/ en/ | |||
| Directgov: National careers service | A UK-wide website with information and help with careers. It offers:
| https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ Pages/ Home.aspx | |||
| Directgov: education and learning | Extensive web pages covering:
| www.gov.uk/ browse/ education | |||
Volunteering opportunities | |||||
| Volunteering Wales | The main website that lists volunteering opportunities across Wales. | www.volunteering-wales.net | |||