GED course in Whitecourt: It’s never too late to learn

 

A general education diploma, or GED, is achieved when a set of tests certify that the student has met high-school academic standards. GEDs are commonly taken by adults that have not earned a high school diploma and while the GED course and testing period is significantly shorter than attending years of high school, it is not an academic shortcut. The test is challenging, but with the right preparation, it can be passed – and it can change your life.

The Conference Board of Canada confirms,” There is a growing consensus that high-school completion is the prerequisite stepping stone to post-secondary education, now deemed essential to success in the labour market. Governments have plenty of evidence that well-educated citizens are more actively engaged in society: they tend to make better choices about factors that affect their quality of life (e.g., diet, smoking, exercise); and they earn higher incomes than those who are less educated.”[1] There is a correlation between wage levels in Canada – each additional year of education a person receives is worth 8.3 per cent more on their pay cheque.

Basically, without a high school diploma, career, and therefore several paths in life, become very limited. Of course there are always those amazing success stories of people that didn’t complete high school, became innovators and earned millions by following their passions, but those stories are the exception – not the norm. Even successful businesspeople that entered the labour market early in place of post-secondary education often admit that they wish they had spent more time on education, or they go back to school during their adult years.

Thirty-six per cent of Alberta youth aged 16-25, 40 per cent of adult Albertans, and 80 per cent of Alberta seniors do not have the literacy skills necessary to reach their potential in our knowledge-based society. If you are an adult without a high school diploma, you are missing out on opportunities, but you have the power to change that.

NorQuest College has partnered with Whitecourt/Lac Ste. Anne Adult Learning to provide a part-time GED prep course in Whitecourt. Students enrolled in this course will develop the reading, writing, math, science and social studies skills that will be on the final exam. There will be about four hours of homework per week on top of class time. A tutor is available for all enrolled students.

The GED prep course runs April 04 –June 23 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at NorQuest College’s Whitecourt Campus (4739 50th Ave). The fee is $235 for the course, $25 for books and $200 for the exam. The value having a GED will add to your life is priceless.

It is never too late to take charge of your future, and having your GED if you don’t have a high school diploma opens the door to more career paths and post-secondary education. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

Contact Lorraine at Whitecourt/Lac Ste. Anne Adult Learning: 780-268-2435, or email learning@wlsa-adultlearning.ca for more information about this GED prep course and exam, or to register.

 

[1] http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/education/high-school-graduation-rate.aspx