A 71-year-old former care worker from Ipswich went back to college after missing out on an education when she was younger and has just passed her first ever qualification.
Kin Alderson decided to return to the classroom to ‘meet people and take on a new challenge’.
So, she enrolled on a free maths functional skills course at Suffolk New College, and she has just found out she has passed this qualification.
Buoyed by this success, Kin is now weighing up the opportunity of taking a maths GCSE, starting in September.
And she has been surprised by the whole college experience.
She said, “You meet all different walks of life, and it is inspiring. What I learned will stay with me forever, and I’ve met new friends.
“My message to others is that education is always there. Age is giving people a barrier, but it should not stop you from learning. You can sit there and do nothing when you are 21. So, enjoy the ride and take the plunge.
In terms of the support she has received from Suffolk New College, Kin continued: “The teachers are very good. They are dedicated, and we are lucky to get this opportunity.”
On passing her course that took a year to complete and was free, Kin said: “When I found out I’d passed, I thought that someone had made a mistake.”
And speaking more generally about the college, Kin added, “If you look at it from the outside, you don’t know what is going on. But when you come into the building, it is like a big social gathering – it’s like a society. I think without the college, people will be lost as there is nowhere for them to improve themselves.”
Kristian Sanderson is Kin’s maths lecturer. During the course, he discovered that he and Kin were both born on Christmas Day, and he was delighted to help her receive the gift of a qualification.
Kristian said, “There is no age barrier to learning. I’d say it’s a great achievement for Kin and she wants to use this now to take a maths GCSE next year.”
Suffolk New College has a range of free courses available for 19+ learners that are available all year round.
Another learner who has taken advantage of the free courses is Yuk San, 34, from Ipswich, who is studying on a level two warehousing course.
Yuk said: “It’s good learning things that I’ve never learnt before, and I hope to get a job at the end of the course. It’s great that the course is free and the facilities at the college are really good. I’d say to others that they should give it a try as there are lots to choose from.”
Other free courses range from communication to customer service, engineering to English and managing stress to marketing.
Craig Shimmon is the Head of Marketing at Suffolk New College. He said: “We have lots of free courses for 19+ learners. They enable people to enhance their skills, gain knowledge, get qualifications, boost their employability and meet new people. It doesn’t matter if you have just finished school or have been out of education for decades, our fantastic teachers will help you progress in a nurturing and supportive environment.”