Is there a path to a degree I haven't considered ?

[Newbrummie]

Posting here due to traffic, hope that's ok.
So I have 20 years experience in my field HE but no degree and I need one.
Doesn't even gave to be relevant it could be in knitting for all they care although I would like it to be a proper degree.
Is there another path aside of the OU, diplomas that count towards degrees that kind of thing ?
TIA

Yes, good luck! Hope you'll enjoy it too, it's quite a journey!

Would you not be better to look at the professional HR qualification instead of any old degree? www.cipd.co.uk/qualifications/

I think - pretty sure a friend did this albeit a while ago - you can get NVQ level 5(?) in HR which will give you CIPD qualification and is degree level too. It's evidence/experience based.

Oops skimmed thread....didn't see the teaching aspect - might be worth a question to see how quickly you could get up to degree level in CIPD given your experience?

Word of warning . If you are doing this solely to pursue a career in FE teaching I suggest you stop and think long and hard. My experience in this sector between 2011 and 2013 is that the sector is in free fall. I have an MBA and had done a level 3 in teaching when I signed up for a teaching post on a zero hours contract with the college paying for me to do a pgce. I taught business and my friend hr. Every fe college in commuting distance made people redundant over the first summer. I was at the end of a list , it made no difference that I was good and qualified, there are dozens ahead with that plus experience and results. I ducked and ran two thirds way through year 2.

Oh bugger

YY, our local FE college has made tons of people redundant over the last few years due to funding cuts. The staff who are left seem to be terribly demoralised and massively overworked. It isn't a sector I'd be trying to get into right now.

HE lecturing would be difficult without a PhD, I'm afraid, though industry experience would probably be a plus.

I know at Manchester university, if you were foreign, sometimes doing a degree was free if you worked for them. This was years ago and everything has changed BUT I would call them and ask. There is a masters in HR there. I think it's through their business school.

Given that you want to teach I'm a little concerned that you want the easiest route to any old degree. Doesn't really convey a great sense of value placed on academic learning. Are you sure it's right for you?

Lecturing is hugely academic and experience in a particular field is only one aspect of the job. I also think that your attitude to formal education is lacking given the career choice you have expressed an interest in. There is a big expectation on lecturers to carry out research. You are honest enough to question wether you would be able for a. Masters. If this is the case you should look into other careers. Also any 'educational' organisation that doesn't care what your academic qualifications are is a sham

Nothing like a bit of positivity to get you fired up and back on your feet eh ?
Thank you to those with useful comments and suggestions, much appreciated

Newbrummie, if you do not realise that realistic comments about your query are actually helpful then your head is up your arse.

OP, if I'm honest, you don't sound particularly inclined towards academia. Have you thought about moving into training roles within large organisations - staff development departments and the like?

That's exactly what I'm doing Kampeki, I have no interest in academia at this stage and as stated earlier it's FE I'm looking at which for those who realistically live in the real world know is far more than schools, colleges and universities. Is be far too polite to point that out to them though.

To be honest you sound totally deluded but best of luck with your plans

Op hate to say this but I agree with pp who warned about the uncertainty of working in fe. I work in this sector and am one of the lucky few NOT to be on a zero hours contract. Most lecturers at my institution are paid a handsome hourly rate, but only for the few hours a week that they are actually teaching. There is also no security whatsoever, and pretty much any teaching hours you manage one term could be gone the next. It is q very insecure sector which is massively underfunded and at the whims of government. Unlike schools, fe colleges are not prioritised or protected. We are also in competition with schools for students , as each student equals money. Maybe in future the tide will turn and fe colleges will regain some status (and funding!!) but at the moment the sector is in trouble. Having said that I love working there.

Phew, that turned into a bit of a rant, sorry! I was going to suggest that you look into doing a BEd instead with a view to becoming a school teacher? You might need to do an Access course first (at an fe college, ironic!) but it would be a much more stable career.

I don't wznt to be a school teacher, I don't like schools, children or government organisations, aside of that it would be great.
If I had the attitude of some on this thread we'd have been in the gutter a long time ago but luckily for my kids I will succeed at my plans and again thanks to those we've pointed me in the right direction.

Zero hours contracts are fine for some ppl, OP might well be one of them. You really want to be something like self-employed consultant, i think, OP, someone who offers continuing-professional-dev in niche areas, if you have so little respect for degrees. Best of luck, anyway.

I have a friend who's doing a part time masters degree (2 years of evening study 1-2 nights a week for 4 terms out of the 6 with summer terms off and 4 essays a year plus dissertation) while still working full time.

She doesn't even have academic A Levels (she has A Levels but they're drama, dance and music so very little essay experience) let alone a Bachelors degree.

She is really struggling but she's managing and is passing with merit so far so it's definitely possible.

Sorry, OP, I appreciate that FE can be defined quite broadly, but you specifically said that you wanted to "lecture", which implies an academic focus. You also said that you were potentially interested in moving into HE later on.

You've complained about the attitudes of others on this thread, but tbh, you're not coming across terribly well yourself. I would expect a trainer to have somewhat better communication skills.

Unless you are considering lecturing on a Foundation Degree, there isn't a great deal of scope for lecturing in an FE college - most of the courses are competency based and the pedagogy is far more around 'training' rather than 'lecturing'.

I didn't ask for career advice or opinions on my financial situation.
Again thanks to those who answered the question.

I'm intrigued what you mean, lecturing on what kind of topics to what kind of people (what age and educational background would they have)?

I've heard that OU degrees are quite demanding in terms of getting the work done in a small time window, can be hard with a FT job at same time.