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Distance Learning
Are Distance Learning Courses Recognised In The Workplace?
A question many prospective students ask about distance learning courses is:
“Will this help me get work?”
Most students want to know whether their courses will be recognised by employers as credible qualifications, and whether they will help them build or advance their careers.
Here, you will finally find the answer to this question.
Distance Learning Is Just A Mode Of Education
While campus-based colleges enjoy an automatic sense of credibility, some people might approach a college that they cannot see or visit with suspicion.
The fact is, however, that e-learning, different types of distance learning, and campus-based learning are just different channels for education. The question you should ask is not whether distance learning is recognised by employers, but whether the courses offered by a specific distance learning college will be recognised.
For example: A college such as Oxbridge Academy offers a range of National Certificates (N1 – N6). This means that you will study the same N1 – N6 courses at Oxbridge Academy as what you would study at a campus-based college. The only difference will be in your mode of study (distance learning vs campus learning). At the end of the course, you will still have the same qualification on your CV.
So pay attention to the credibility of the college and the courses it offers, rather than wondering about the credibility of the mode of education.
Is The College Accredited?
Only qualifications earned at accredited colleges and other academic institutions will be recognised by employers. All colleges (distance learning and campus-based) in South Africa need to be registered with the relevant authorities in order to provide legitimate post-school educational services in South Africa.
Moreover, there are numerous SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities) that accredit college courses at both distance learning and campus-based colleges.
There are many people out there who try to exploit students, which is why there are so many fraudulent colleges out there. So make sure your college and your course are accredited if you want to receive a recognised qualification!
What Type Of Course Are You Taking?
When an employer picks up your CV and looks through it, he or she will be looking at both your skills and your qualifications.
Whether your course is recognised by your employer thus depends on the type of course you are taking, and why you are taking it (i.e. whether you want to boost your skills, or get a formal qualification).
In addition to N1 – N6 National Qualifications, Oxbridge Academy offers a wide range of short learning programmes that will boost your skills. If you study a Project Management skills certificate course, for example, you will thus be able to say you have skills and training (but not a formal qualification) in the following fields:
- Fundamental Business Skills
- Management Practice
- Office Data Processing
- Project Management
Employers may recognise this training for some purposes, but not for others.
If you want a recognised qualification, you should rather take a National Certificate course (N1 – N6) or another type of accredited qualification.
What Is The College’s Reputation?
Certain colleges have a national reputation and will easily be recognised by employers. It doesn’t matter whether it is a distance learning or a campus-based college. What matters is whether the college has a good reputation. At Oxbridge Academy, we do a lot of work to ensure that we have a good, and widespread, reputation in South Africa.
