Tips about education and training
1. Funding
Think carefully about your financial circumstances and how will you fund your education and training. Does your employer offer funded training opportunities? If not, is a grant available? See the section on Funding.
2. Coming from abroad?
If you are thinking of coming from abroad to the UK to study, train or work, check the latest information about immigration rules on the Home Office's UK Border Agency website.
3. Make sure what you are thinking of doing fits your lifestyle
Think about how you can make your education and training fit around your work and homelife. Is time off work allowed for education and training or will you have to study or train in your own time? Are you sure that you can make the time to do the study that you will need to do? The course provider may be able to help you with study options that are appropriate for your circumstances.
4. Make sure what you are thinking of doing fits your career development plans
How does the education and training fit with what you have agreed with your manager/employer/supervisor? If the education or training is through a secondment or job exchange, make sure all the practical details been worked out for what happens to your own job while you are away, and for what happens when you come back.
5. Place of study
Will you need to travel to do your course? Would it be better for you to do a distance-learning course (e.g. through the Open University)?
6. Know your individual learning style
How do you learn best? Working through problems on your own or with others? Some people prefer to learn by doing rather than by spending time in a classroom; others are better at reading, thinking and writing. Make sure that the training you choose suits your style. See the page on learning styles.
7. Check how your success will be assessed
Consider how you prefer to be assessed – by demonstrating your ability by actively doing things, or by examinations, portfolios or course work etc. Does the course allow you to be assessed in a balanced way that suits you?
8. Will my existing skills and education be recognised?
If you have skills or qualifications, will this be taken into account by the education or training provider? Some institutions will accept you on a course because of your existing skills even if you do not have formal qualifications. Some institutions will accept learning credits you have gained elsewhere and count them towards the completion of your new course. See the section on Getting your existing skills and knowledge recognised.
9. Work-based learning
Find out what opportunities are there for on-the-job learning. Does your organisation have a mentoring or coaching scheme? Do the courses you might be interested in offer options for work-based learning alongside traditional class room learning?
10. How do I know the training or education will help my career?
Check if the course you are thinking of taking is accredited (quality controlled) by an external body. Will it lead to a widely recognised qualification? If the job you hope to do has a professional body, check that the qualification is recognised by that body. See the section called How can I be sure of the quality of my chosen course?
11. Competences achieved
What types of competences and at what level will you get from the education or training? Are these what you need?
12. Searching for courses and other public health information
To find courses and other information about to public health, it is unlikely to be sufficient to use the terms "public health" and "health and wellbeing" alone. In addition, you could search using a likely keyword in the course title. Examples of useful keywords are:
| Ageing Community Protection Diet Environmental Exercise Fitness Food |
Health Improvement Intelligence Midwifery Nursing Nutrition Obesity Occupational Pharmacy |
Physical Activity Promotion Safety Smoking Sport Wellbeing |
Click for further tips on choosing a course.