As this week is Adult Learners week, we caught up with some of our students who came back into education to re-ignite their creative passions and follow their career dreams. Our https://ccad.ac.uk/access-to-he-ccad-middlesbrough/Access to HE course, which is taught at our Green Lane campus, is designed to give opportunities for those returning to education or mature students, to achieve a higher education qualification. On the course, a huge variety of subjects are covered which lets the students delve into any creative platform they choose.

This year on Access to HE, we have mature students experimenting with games design and concept art, fashion and costume and so many more areas. So if you’ve been looking to follow your initial career dream in a creative subject but simply don’t know where to start or have the qualifications and knowledge to jump straight into degree level, then don’t hesitate to check out this course here.
Bob Peel from Stockton came to us after he had a freak accident at work forcing him to give up his industrial job. “All I’d ever done was manual work,” Bob told us, “Now I didn’t have any strength in my left leg so I couldn’t do any driving or heavy lifting.” Whilst recovering at home Bob started to become withdrawn and depressed. “I couldn’t see any reason to get up in the mornings; I had nothing to focus on or work towards,” he said. After learning about our Access to HE course, Bob regained his zest for life and started on his career to becoming a Photographer.

We first caught up with Bob Peel, who is now studying BA (Hons) Photography at our HE campus in Hartlepool, to have a chat and to share his advice.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to get into creative education?
DO IT! I thought that I was too old and chasing pipe dreams when I first started at green lane. However, Amanda and the rest of her team soon showed me that I was wrong.

How did the Access course help you to further your photography career?
Because the Access course covers a broad spectrum of artist techniques I learnt to look at things in different ways and from other angles of view. This helped me with my creative process and composition.

How did you find out about our access course?
The access course was recommended as my first step to HE after having been interviewed for the BA(Hons)

Are you glad you came to CCAD? (if so why?)
Yes. Access gave me the confidence and the ability to learn again (sounds silly I know, but after 20yrs of being out of the education system, it’s hard to start learning again) and I would not have been in a position to complete the degree at Hartlepool. Hartlepool offers so many opportunities along with the actual BA(hons) degree. Not only have I Left with a degree I have also gained professional accreditation these include, LBIPP AOP and POCP.

What are your plans for after graduating?
I plan to continue to develop my portfolio using the knowledge and technical skills that I no have, and forge a career within in the magazine/editorial market specialising in alternative lifestyle and vehicles.

Did you have any apprehension before starting the Access course?
YES! I thought I would be too old, not good enough, and generally being a fool for thinking that I could achieve anything within the creative world.

How do you feel you settled into the course?
Any apprehensions that I had were soon dismissed by Amanda and the rest of her team at Green Lane. I soon had the confidence to take on the challenges that the course set and with the continued support from tutors I was able to move forward.

Look out for the next installment of Adult Learners week with Kathleen Sowerby.