Kareen Cox
Career writer

Internationally, a shift in part-time studying can be attributed to the
shift in employment patterns, where persons are no longer expected to
stay in one job for their entire working lives, but instead, multiple
career and job changes have become the norm.

To keep up with the constant changes in the workplace, individuals must continuously
upgrade their skills. Part-time studying can help persons to achieve
necessary qualifications as well as facilitate career improvement or
career change.

One option to accomplish your aim of improving your qualifications
Is to ask your employer to pay:

Many companies have tuition assistance programmes that are designed to help workers take courses while still holding down full-time jobs. To qualify for assistance,course content must usually relate to the employee's job and it is
normally expected that completion of the coursework will make the
employee a more knowledgeable and efficient worker.

In exchange for tuition assistance and/or study leave, an employee is usually bonded to the company for a period of time.

It is worth asking your manager or human resource representative, if your company offers a tuition assistance programme, and in doing so, ensure that you highlight the benefits the course or programme will bring to the company. You may be able to go to school while working and also get your company to help
pay for it.

Some companies may not pay the full amount, if any at all,
but they will facilitate part-time learners through flexi-time for
classes or granting study leave when time is needed to write an
examination.

*Kareen Cox is co-ordinator, career resources
department within the HEART Trust/NTA
Email: kareen_cox@heart-nta.org