For many people it can be incredibly frustrating feeling that you're stuck in the job you're already in. Most people don't know exactly what they want to do when they take their first job, or are not in a position to choose carefully, and, once you're working in one field, it can be hard to show an employer in a new field that you have anything more to offer than entry level staff. A similar problem exists for people who are happy with the type of job they're working in, but feel that their prior qualifications are holding them back from a more enjoyable or higher paid aspect of their work. Once you have a family and other commitments, it can be very difficult to change your situation by going back to the bottom in a new career or by going back to college or night school to improve your skills.

It is for these reasons that courses that allow learning from home have been developed. With these courses, all the necessary learning materials are sent out to you, which comprise booklets, DVDs, CDs or online content. With no lectures or classes to attend, you are free to study whenever you have a spare moment, and, within the study time that you set aside, you can avoid being rushed by the pace of the class, or avoid wasting time by waiting whilst tutors go over material you're already comfortable with. It also means that you are able to give more attention to aspects that you may already know, but that you are interested in, meaning the course is tailored to you. Assessment is often done by pieces of coursework which are done at home and sent to a tutor, whilst others with professional accreditation have an exam, which may be done in an assessment centre close to your home. With a distance learning course, you retain the same level of support you would at a 'face to face' course, as you will normally be assigned a tutor to review your progress. Indeed, you may even find the level of support on a home learning course better than that on a face to face one, as you are not restricted to seeking advice during classes - you can email whenever it is that you're working, adding further flexibility to your studies.

Home learning courses can be taken at your own pace, and can be built upon to give you a higher level of qualification over time. For example, you may wish to initially undertake an introductory course in a certain area to just confirm and consolidate your existing knowledge, and then take a more advanced course to introduce new concepts and skills to you that you can apply in the workplace. Even if you're not studying towards any particular job or profession, merely having qualifications from recognised bodies can alone help your career prospects as they are concrete evidence of your ability. They can also be used to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to an existing or potential employer, and help you increase your opportunities, all within your existing lifestyle.