Pearse College in Crumlin is one of Dublins oldest colleges of adult education. It has been running courses for mature students since the 1970s and it currently has 560 full-time students and roughly 150 people on its part-time programmes.

The college caters for all adult age groups from young people who come to Pearse College straight from school to join a PLC course, to more mature learners availing of second-chance education.

"We offer courses for adults with varying educational needs," says college principal, Anne Kinsella. "For example, we cater for those who want to do their Leaving Cert or who want to retrain in order to find a job. But we also look after those who need help with basic literacy skills and those who want a foundation course to prepare themselves for third level.

"Pearse College may have started out providing English literature classes to local women's clubs, but today's female students are more likely to want computer training. Courses in IT are very popular and we have one called `Back to Your Future - Computer Work Skills", which aims to give those out of the paid workforce for some time the necessary skills to apply for a job. Of course, men are welcome, but the majority of the students tend to be women who have been at home with their families and now want to go back to work," says Kinsella.

"Pearse College has been offering an humanities-based foundation course for those interested in going to third level for some time, but this year marks the start of a foundation course in science and IT which will be run in conjunction with the Blanchardstown Institute of Technology. We are enrolling for this course at the moment and we will have our first intake in September. We are really pleased about this course and its potential," Kinsella says.

Also on offer is a course called "Fastrack to Information Technology", which is designed to give those out of work for a long time the skills to find a job in the IT sector. The course is open to all those over 21 in receipt of social welfare for 12 months. No specific qualifications or previous experience with computers are necessary.

But if your eyes glaze over at the thought of computers, fear not, Pearse College caters for all tastes. Also on offer are courses in horticulture, holistic health studies, media production skills and languages for tourism and business. For a prospectus telephone (01) 453 6661 or consult www.pearsecollege.cdvec.ie