Colleges Week – Focus on Higher Education

Today we are celebrating higher education learners developing advanced technical and academic skills, and the colleges delivering local, flexible, and career-focused courses that open doors to opportunity.

At CRC, we offer Access to Higher Education Diplomas – a one year course that helps students to develop the study skills and academic knowledge to progress onto a degree level course. People who typically join Access courses may have been out of education for a while or haven’t achieved the ‘right’ grades at A Level to study the course they wanted to. Around 40,000 people every year study on an Access course and there is no upper age limit. The courses are part-time and flexible, to fit in with work and childcare. We speak to some of our current students who are studying an Access to HE course about their journey back into education, their experience of studying the course and what they hope to do once they finish.

Reece – Access to Business

After years in full‑time work and uncertainty about returning to study, he joined our Access to Business course, and found confidence, community, and a clear path toward a future in fashion business.

“Coming here has been one of the biggest privileges that I’ve been able to experience in an educational capacity. It’s the first time I feel like I’ve been able to come somewhere and just be judged somewhere on who I am, how I behave and the work I produce, and being able to thrive in that environment has been so gratifying.”

Read his story here.

Atticus – Access to Humanities

Atticus tells us about the support they’ve received from tutors and staff at CRC, and their desire to study creative writing after the course.

“This course, it means I get to choose what I want to do. At the end of the day, if it doesn’t make me rich, it’ll make me happy. Being able to have that choice, to make that choice in an informed way, being able to go to university, and for a while I didn’t think I’d be able to, but now I plan to and that’s really exciting.“

Read Atticus’ story here.

Arturs – Access to Science

Arturs tells us how the skills and experience he’s gaining on the Access to Science course will allow him to progress to university to study Architecture – a non-conventional route into the subject, but one made possible by the Access course.

“All the teachers are lovely and supportive. I think it’s really educational as well, and with the Access course particularly there’s also a compulsory study skills part which prepares you for university.”

Read his story here.

Harry – Access to Humanities

Dreaming of a career in history archiving, Harry is studying the Access to Humanities course to set him on the path. After some troubles with his mental health, he’s found the Access course to be beneficial to both his health and social life.

“It’s also given me an opportunity to make new friends and meet new people and so far, it’s been really nice, I’m hanging out with people outside the college, it’s been great. It’s helped a lot with my mental health specifically, as it’s also the getting outside, being outside and doing things and putting my brain to work.”

Read Harry’s story here.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Access to Higher Education diplomas we offer at CRC, please see here.

#LoveOurColleges #CollegesWeek2026