Getting rioped off by long distance learning courses

career_changer_2

Hi Folks

Did any of you listen to the report on breakfast news this morning about the amount of students that get ripped off by long distance course providers. Apparently, the students get charged large amounts of money with the promise of good job prospects at the end of the courses(s), but 9 timee out of 10, the students do not find the promised jobs and feel that they have wasted their money.

Has a anybody else had that experience? How would you differentiate beween a 'good' and a 'bad' distance learning course.

Thanks

mountainofdebt

tbh I've tried a Learning Direct long distance course and it was absolutely pants - felt the quality of the materials and support were sadly lacking.

For my mind there is only one long distance educational provider and that is the Open University.

I think the question that people need to ask themselves before they sign up for these courses is that is the course fesible to be studied long distance - I've seen some courses which are obviously practical based and it makes you wonder how people ever are fooled into believing that they can be studied without a real tutor.

Also they need to ask is the issuing institution well respected by employers - if not I would stay well clear.

At the end of the day, a qualification is only opens the door to a job.....it doesn't give you the desk and chair.

briona

career_changer wrote: »

Hi Folks

Did any of you listen to the report on breakfast news this morning about the amount of students that get ripped off by long distance course providers. Apparently, the students get charged large amounts of money with the promise of good job prospects at the end of the courses(s), but 9 timee out of 10, the students do not find the promised jobs and feel that they have wasted their money.

Has a anybody else had that experience? How would you differentiate beween a 'good' and a 'bad' distance learning course.

Thanks

I don't think you can justify calling distance learning a "rip-off" because some people have been unable to find a job (in a recession).

More to the point, while it certainly opens doors, neither distance nor traditional education 'guarantees' you a job, and you'd be pretty foolish to believe otherwise.

career_changer_2

Hi mountainofdebt

I know the OU is good, but they do charge large fees for their courses. Is there any funding available if I do a course through the OU.

I did a computer programming course with computeach just over 10 years ago, before the new millenium. I paid over £2k for it and they promised me that the course will open doors for me to apply for jobs with starting salaries of £20k. However, that never happened. I feel that I wasted my money with them!

jdx

briona wrote: »

neither distance nor traditional education 'guarantees' you a job, and you'd be pretty foolish to believe otherwise.

And yet that is just how these long distance courses (such as Home Learning) put it. They 'guarantee it'.

I would stick with the local colleges.

Oldernotwiser

mountainofdebt wrote: »

For my mind there is only one long distance educational provider and that is the Open University.

That's all well and good for degree level study but that's not appropriate for everybody. In addition, University of London external degree courses are also excellent and possibly even better for experienced learners than the OU.

I also know of decent organisations at GCSE and A level but I do agree with you about distance learning for practical courses.

jdx

career_changer wrote: »

Hi mountainofdebt

I know the OU is good, but they do charge large fees for their courses. Is there any funding available if I do a course through the OU.

Yep, have a look at this.. http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/explained/financial-support.shtml

and eligibility checker

Emmzi

I've tried a few LDL people and I second the OU. I didn't realise I'd be able to go to so many weekend tutorials and meet fellow students, all in my local area, no more than a 30 minute drive - I;d assume it was all just books and internet.

They have been fab.

career_changer_2

Hi Emmzi

If you don't mind me asking, what course did you do with the OU?

Thanks

Becles

I'm on my last course with the OU and hopefully will graduate with a BA Honours degree in business studies by the end of the year. It's taken four years and it's been a hard slog juggling the study with work, family, home etc., especially as my third was born while I was studying!

Really enjoyed it though and would highly recommend it to anyone who has the motivation and determination to do it.

Watch out for colleges offering qualifications that are not nationally recognised. I used to work for an IT company and did the initial sift of CV's for one of the directors. He wouldn't interview anyone without nationally recognised qualifications and said that generally home learning college IT qualifications didn't give the person the skills they needed to do the jobs he was advertising for.

bristol_pilot

Let's keep it simple - all distance learning courses except OU degrees and the like are a waste of money.