Balancing work, life and education as an adult student
It can feel complicated choosing to return to education as an adult student, especially when it comes to figuring out how you are going to balance the rest of your responsibilities.

Christine Dempsey – ILM Level 3 Certificate Leadership & Management (ILM)
Christine was eager to advance in her career within the energy sector and wanted to gain leadership skills, so she enrolled on our Level 3 ILM Leadership and Management course.
A true selling point of the course for Christine was the flexible online delivery, which made it convenient to complete her course alongside her other commitments. This helped Christine achieve her goal and progress to a team leader role within her company.
View all Business & Professional courses for adultsJames Hurst - Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills)
Carpentry & Joinery lecturer, James, is completing his Level 5 Diploma in Teaching alongside his full-time job here at Warrington & Vale Royal College. With years of experience in the industry, James wanted to develop his career - progressing to a teaching role where he can inspire the next generation of construction workers.
James said: “The course fits perfectly around my full-time job, as I study one evening a week. It’s been invaluable in supporting my development as a teacher.”
The part-time course has allowed James to continually manage his responsibilities at work, whilst gaining valuable skills and a level 5 qualification that will help boost his career.
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Charlotte Mercer - Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling
Charlotte first enrolled on our Introduction to Counselling course before completing the level 2, 3 and now the Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling course. She began studying with us in 2022, and throughout her course maintained her role as a forbearance specialist, juggling work commitments alongside her studies.
Praising her tutor's understanding of this balancing act, Charlotte said: “My tutor Gemma creates a safe, welcoming environment in the classroom, which is essential when studying counselling. She understands that we are adult students with other responsibilities, and her teaching style is clear and easy to follow. Gemma is a credit to this college!”
View all Counselling courses for adultsPhil Snelson - Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling
Primary school teacher, Phil, decided to embark on a career change after discovering his passion for helping others. After exploring options in the area, Phil chose the part-time Level 2 Counselling course at Warrington & Vale Royal College due to the flexible options available. Originally, Phil studied alongside his teaching role, and the accommodating schedule of his course allowed him to continue with his work and family commitments.
The flexibility offered by the level 2 and level 3 courses gave Phil the confidence to progress onto the full-time level 4 course. Speaking about the support offered to adult students, Phil said: “The tutors have all been brilliant. Everyone I’ve met just seems to be in it for the right reasons; they want to help people and they’re so supportive of the classes age differences, learning differences and experiential differences.”
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