Adult and community learning

Farnborough College of Technology (FCoT)

FCoT offers a range of courses for adults, including professional evening courses, apprenticeships, degrees and more. To see the full range of courses and to find out how to apply visit the FCoT website.

Hampshire Learns

Adult Community Learning courses for adults aged 19 and over in Hampshire. Offering courses that develop the skills, confidence, motivation and resilience of adults of different ages and backgrounds.

Training is free for Hampshire residents aged 19+ who meet one or more of the following characteristics:

• Without a full Level 2
• In receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit
• Families with school age children in receipt of free school meals
• Have a learning difficulty and/or disability
• Who are at risk of/have mental health needs

Visit the Hampshire Learns website to see all available courses.

Skills Bootcamps

Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks. You'll be offered a job interview with an employer once you complete the course. Courses include digital, green skills, project management and more. 

For Skills Bootcamps across the South East, please visit the Department for Education website.

For Hampshire Skills Bootcamps, please visit the Hampshire County Council website.

Community First

Community First's Learning and Development team provides high value training programmes that aim to provide you with the skills you need to develop your capabilities and improve your effectiveness. To find out more about future courses and how to book a place visit the Community First website.

Hampshire Libraries

Would you like to learn a new skill, maybe a new language or learn to paint? To find out more visit Hampshire County Council's learning in libraries page.

Read Easy UK

Read Easy is a UK charity offering free, confidential, one-to-one coaching for adults who struggle to read. Their gentle approach allows adults to learn in privacy, at their own pace, with the support of a dedicated reading coach and at a time and place to suit you. Please visit the Read Easy website for more information.

Online learning resources

There are also a wide range of online resources to help you improve your skills from the comfort of your home. Some will provide recognised qualifications, but all will help boost both your confidence and skills for work.

Innovation South Virtual Campus

The virtual campus offers you the opportunity to learn a new skill without the need to take a whole qualification using a skills-focused range of short programmes. You can pick the courses that are most relevant to you. You will also benefit from fast, relevant and convenient training.

The Innovation South Virtual Campus aims to transform access to vital work-focused training such as cyber security and digital skills across the region. It is a ground-breaking project initiated by a group of regional Colleges and Universities including Sparsholt College, Basingstoke College of Technology and Royal Holloway, University of London, working with colleagues from East Surrey College and Chichester University. 

Visit the Innovation South Virtual Campus website to discover the range of courses on offer. 

Barclays LifeSkills

Barclays have created free employability and financial capability programmes that you can access remotely. To find out more visit the Barclays Life Skills website.

Focal

Focal is an online learning platform created by Farnborough College of Technology, offering a variety of course to support learners and employers across the UK. They aim to help learners to reach their goals. Whether it is for a prospective job or to simply study a subject that they are passionate about.

Many of the qualifications can be started straight away and are free of charge. For more information visit the Focal website.

Google Digital Garage

Discover a range of free learning content designed to help your business or your career. You can learn by selecting individual modules, or take an entire course.

To find out more visit the Google Digital Garage website.

GCF Learn Free

In the current climate many people are using social media for business in a way they haven't needed to before. You may be asked to link up with colleagues or recruitment companies using Zoom or Skype for online meetings and interviews.

For information and advice on how to set up these apps and many others visit the GCF Learn Free website.

Learn My Way

Learn My Way has a range of free courses for you to learn digital skills. For more information visit the Learn My Way website.

The Skills Toolkit

Find free and high quality digital and numeracy courses in the government Skills Toolkit. Digital skills can be anything from using social media and staying safe online to coding, programming or digital marketing.

Explore online courses on The Skills Tool Kit website.

FutureLearn

FutureLearn has a diverse range of subjects to study with courses ranging in length from two to ten weeks. All courses are online and delivered by world class universities and industry experts. 

To explore the courses and start learning, visit the FutureLearn website.