Make a fresh start in September with free course to self-improvement

SEPTEMBER heralds the end of the summer and the beginning of the new school year. Even for those of us long gone from education, there is a fresh start feeling to this time of year. In many ways this is a much better time to make resolutions than the New Year, writes Gráinne McGuinness.

Hopefully rested after the summer and with the cold nights still a while away, it is a more optimistic time than the post-Christmas lull. Some may be keen to try a new hobby or learn a skill for career advancement, for others it is the perennial aims to get fit or lose weight. There are adult education courses starting all over the country, from low-cost evening courses to part-time university masters degrees. But, thanks to the internet, there are also many options available to people for free.

If you are keen to learn a new skill for work, an Irish provider founded in Galway should be your first port of call. Alison.com has helped millions of learners and currently has more than 800 free courses available.