Every year at York College we welcome a large and diverse cohort of adult learning students who study on a wide range of courses, covering various subjects at different levels, from short courses to university-level study.
If you’re looking to retrain to change career, aiming to progress at work or just wanting to start a new hobby, our courses could be a perfect fit for you.
We appreciate that many of our students lead very busy lives and are not always in the position to undertake a full-time course. Our adult course offer has been developed to work flexibly with you and is ideal to study alongside work or other commitments, allowing you to achieve the essential qualification(s) you require, while balancing everyday life.
Our course offering has also been mindful of our students’ ability to
progress, with career progression and on to higher-level
study. You can find the level of our courses on
the individual course pages.
Some of our courses for adults may be free for you to study or eligible for a loan.
Courses for adults
Our courses for adults provision includes professional accredited qualifications and learn for enjoyment or development courses.
Professional accredited qualifications
Our professional qualifications are all accredited courses by national Awarding Bodies. These courses are for those who are looking for professional development, a career change or to perhaps work towards a promotion.
Learn for enjoyment or development
Learning never stops and sometimes learning can be done just for fun. Our learn for enjoyment or development courses are ideal for those who would like an initial ‘taste’ of a craft or subject, to take up a new hobby, meet like-minded people, up-skill for a change of career or to just learn for pleasure.
Research shows that learning new skills can improve your mental wellbeing. Learning new skills could help you connect with others, boost self-confidence, improve self-esteem and build a sense of achievement and purpose.
Distance learning
Our online learning courses are
ideal for those who want to study, but have prior commitments to work
around. These courses could be an ideal match for you as they offer a
convenient and practical way to achieve desirable qualifications, at a
time and pace that suits you.
Access to Higher Education - gain that essential qualification
Access your degree or higher-level qualification with us and find your way to a prosperous career. The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is designed for people who do not have traditional qualifications, such as A Levels, and for those who have been out of education for some time. If you want to go to university but feel you might lack the entry qualifications or are worried that you might not be able to cope with the demands of a degree-level course, then an Access to HE course will help you prepare for your next steps.
Degree and higher-level study
With courses designed with your future employability in mind and designed to work alongside studying or other life commitments, York College University Centre could be a perfect fit for you. We have a wide range of courses that are flexible and personalised to suit your career aspirations. We can provide the support, flexibility, contact time and teaching required to help students of all types succeed.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships aren’t just for 16-24 year olds, there is no age limit to studying an apprenticeship. Our apprenticeships cover a variety of occupational areas including construction, business, hairdressing, hospitality, engineering and science. Apprenticeships are an ideal way to kick start a career and can provide you with valuable on-the-job skills that are unique to apprenticeship courses. Earning a wage whilst you learn is also another huge benefit of doing an apprenticeship and can help you get in the frame of mind for working, as well as earning some money to support your studies.
Short courses for individuals and business
We offer a wide range of professional courses designed to help individuals and businesses enhance skills, ranging from IT/software to management and supervisory skills.
