Short and to the point

ADULT EDUCATION: A review may mean the end of government funding for short courses, unless the skills are in demand. PHOTO/CAROLYN ELLIOTT

The flexibility offered by short courses is one factor that has led to New Zealanders' embracement of lifelong learning. However, will the potential changes to funding in the tertiary sector restrict our access to adult education?

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the crown entity responsible for allocating funds to all Tertiary Education Organisations, has warned that effects of the reforms will touch every aspect of tertiary education provision, it's more a case of to what degree.

But the news isn't necessarily bad. The reforms are intended to align training undertaken with New Zealand's social and economic development goals, so funding may be taken from a course that bears little relation to these needs, but it will be reinvested in another that more directly benefits the country. The Ministry of Education hopes that our wallets will guide us along more advantageous avenues of study.

Standing to gain from the funding shifts are Adult Community Education (ACE) providers, which often include basic computer training courses and job skills, though inevitably other course providers will suffer, most likely those that don't beat a direct path to an employer's door.

The commission has pinpointed dive courses as one area for scrutiny, and will be focusing on the level of employer demand for dive-related skills. Charlie Reilly of DiveHQ, Auckland, stresses that the writing's not on the wall yet.

"A review's just that, a chance to look at all the positives and negatives,'' he says.

He's confident that statistics outlining the number of his students who follow through into diving-related careers will convince the Committee of the importance of what he offers.

These reforms to education policy were set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy 2002-2007, but it was in the late 1990s when the push came for tertiary education to become universal. This raised concerns for non-participants as the labour market gradually closed its doors to unskilled work-seekers. The democracy of short courses is seen as a way for those unable to commit to full-time study to still play a part in our knowledge society.

Although motives for undertaking study may range from giving yourself the competitive edge in the workplace with a short course on effective communication, for example, to dabbling in new creative or recreational ventures such as documentary making or learning a musical instrument, more often than not it is the desire to upgrade one's CV that drives the decision to enrol. And with the recently introduced unit standards it has become easier to dip in and out of courses, handpicking qualifications and walking away with recognisable skills.

Both the government and industry are calling for courses to become more demand-based, focusing on what students want to learn and the skills the nation needs to develop.

The Tamaki Ki Raro Trust is a community organisation that takes a pragmatic approach to course programming. It works with South Auckland Maori to overcome obstacles to work and education. Trust CEO Sharon Wilson recognises that "it's hard for someone to sit in a classroom and learn when their house is about to be re-possessed, or their son's run away from home''.

The trust has adopted a holistic, hands-on approach to community education, addressing the social and economic factors that inhibit learning. Anger management and health awareness are two examples of its programmes.