UCOL Learning Centre on trial in Carterton

UCOL Learning Centre on trial in Carterton

The Wairarapa town of Carterton is to have its own learning centre, in a six month pilot.

UCOL is opening a Learning Centre in the town as a trial, to provide support for students enrolled on UCOL’s on line, distance programmes, and to students who live in Carterton and study at UCOL Wairarapa’s Masterton campus.

The centre will also offer free Community Computing sessions, to help Carterton people brush up their computer skills.

UCOL Wairarapa Campus Manger Angela Hewitt says the centre will provide somewhere closer to go for students who live in Carterton and further south. “There will be a facilitator to help them - they can also meet other students who are studying via distance. Experience tells us that this sort of support is an important factor in helping distance students to successfully complete their programmes.”

She says at present distance students can go to the UCOL Wairarapa Masterton campus for help with their studies. “But in difficult economic times, that can be costly in terms of petrol and other travel costs. A local base can be much more convenient.”

UCOL has a total of 80 students studying on line in the Wairarapa.

Angela says the Learning Centre will also be available for students on face-to-face programmes at the Masterton campus. “They could use it on days when they don’t have classes but want to do some study or research.”

A further valuable service to be offered at the UCOL Learning Centre will be Community Computing: The centre will have computers and a facilitator available to help anyone who needs to improve their computing skills, perhaps before seeking employment or deciding on further study.

Angela says short courses relating to job seeking skills are also under consideration. She says feedback from users on the sort of training they require would be useful.

She says she is very pleased that the Carterton District Council and UCOL have worked together to base the centre in Carterton, sharing the common goal of making education accessible in regional towns.

Carterton Mayor Gary McPhee says the UCOL centre will be a great addition to the town and he hopes it will be well supported by people from Carterton and further south.

The centre opens later this month in the Carterton Exhibition Centre, 29 Holloway St, Carterton. It will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ENDS

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