Thursday 9th October 2025
Showground, Wadebridge

College Provides Inclusive Access for All

Over fifty adults from across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have taken part in a range of free Higher Level Skills Taster Sessions to help expand their careers and ambitions.

Developed as part of the European-funded Widening Participation through Skills Project at Truro and Penwith College, the sessions provided learners with an insight into what it would be like to access or re-engage in study at a Higher Level.

The four-hour tasters introduced attendees to a range of subjects including Teaching, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Leadership and Management. Attendees then had the opportunity to find out more about related qualification options and about the progression routes and support available at the TEF Gold-rated College.

With a strong focus on Access to Higher Education courses and pathways to University Level study, the taster sessions also introduced the brand new Access to Creative Media and Photography course that will be offered from September 2017.

The Access to Higher Education Course Leader Miles Schofield provided useful information about the programmes and supported the session attendees with their questions, advising the group that: “Access Courses are the quickest and most effective way to get to University and can be completed at any stage in your life.”

Access to Higher Education courses allow students to fit life around their lectures and usually run over three weekdays to allow for part-time work or family life. One attendee said: “It seems like it would really work with everyday life, you can easily get into a rhythm with the family and kids.”

Another attendee was surprised at the amount of support and funding available for Access Courses: “There seems to be more funding and support available for an adult returning to education than there ever was for a 17 year old, fresh out of college!”

ESF Project Coordinator Charli Styles was pleased with the response to the new Access Taster Sessions: “Following the success of our previous Higher Level Skills Taster Sessions, we were really excited to extend support to the Access to Higher Education programmes and have been thrilled with both the interest shown and the feedback from attendees. People have commented on the quality of the tutors, the usefulness of workshop activities and about how enjoyable and helpful the sessions were. ”

Everyone who attended any of the sessions has been offered the opportunity to arrange a personalised information, advice and guidance appointment with a Truro and Penwith College Guidance Officer to discuss and determine his or her individual next steps and the further support available through the ESF project.

If you are interested in accessing  Higher Level Skills with Truro and Penwith College, or would like to attend our next series of Taster Sessions in July 2017, please contact success@truro-penwith.ac.uk or call 01872 242711.