Lack of financial support, amidst other hardships, marks the onset of withered dreams. Without funds, access to quality education or getting a good job becomes much harder and most times individuals facing such hardships tend to give up. But what else could be done?

Like the old adage goes, "there is more than one way to skin a cat”, and ranging from a day, week to a year, short courses can come in handy to provide opportunities for gaining similar skills for anyone sidelined by hardships.

"But that is not all, some times short courses act as a bridge between two different levels. For example, if someone is planning to take up computer engineering at university, a certificate in computing, operating system or software would acclimatise him or her to the bigger course,” says Ronald Wandira, a teacher at Riviera High School.

With such acquired skills an individual also becomes a candidate for an interim job and may choose to continue working during the course of his or her career.

"Even when they are employing waiters, they will at least look for those who have excellent communication skills and computer knowledge. The other advantage is that if it is someone who needs extra financial input, a short course opens doors to employment that requires minimum qualifications,” Wandira explains.

Solomon Mukama Apuuli, a teacher at Kigali Christian School, believes that there are no excuses to stay without skills because short courses are a lot cheaper.

"If someone completes high school and has no money to proceed to the next level, he or she can train in a short course instead of spending longer durations doing nothing or just waiting on,” Apuuli says.

He adds that some of the short courses are online and can even be accessed free of charge with a lot of convenience.

"Online it is possible to find out which courses are free. Courses such as those in project management can run for three weeks and may not necessarily be charged,” he adds.

Most people prefer online short courses because they can pursue them alongside their daily work.

An online Journal on Distance learning Administration from the University of Georgia found that Distance education courses and programs provide flexible learning opportunities to both undergraduate and post-graduate students.

According to the study, this is because with distance learning and short courses, it is possible to have live, interactive audio- or videoconferencing, prerecorded instructional videos as well as webcast.

Whereas most people think that short courses are only important to learners, experts point out those in professional careers regularly need these courses to boost their skills.

For example, in Rwanda, the School of Health and the Ministry of Health regularly boost the capacity of health staff through short courses.

According to Dr Jeanne Kagwiza, the dean of School of Health, the curriculum is designed and approved by the ministry and the school conducts courses.

"Some of them are usually very short, but are taken up by nurses, doctors among others for example courses in critical care and emergency health are provided annually to enhance performance in that area,” Dr Kagwiza explains.

Dr Theophile Dushime, the director of clinical and public health services at the Ministry of Health, explains that trainings in emergency and critical care despite being of a small duration are necessary towards handling road accident victims and other departments.

"There are many accidents that occur at home or workplace, but we also need to ensure that our hospitals are equipped with professional caretakers. Emergency workers handle most situations and this is very relevant for the country,” Dr Dushime told the Education Times.

Other short courses at the University of Rwanda, which the business community deems relevant, include, banking and Insurance, procurement and CPA, which are conducted through KASNEB and ICPAR.

Language proficiency certificates in Kinyarwanda, English, French or Swahili that could be required when applying to learning institutions outside Rwanda are also available at the Institution.

Other peoples views on short courses

Jean De Amour Nyirimanzi, a hardware dealer in Kigali, points out that he is more comfortable employing someone who has certificates provided he can deliver.

"As long as someone can attend to the clients with good communication skills and can keep the books of accounts. It does not matter whether you have a short course or degree,” Nyirimanzi explains.

Although experts advise that short courses should be taken because of the skills they provide, some parents who spoke to the Education Times expressed different reasons for choosing these courses.

Leticia Kanzaire, a parent in Nyamirambo, would only allow her child to take a short course when there is a shortage of funds.

"Society has a completely different perception on short courses, when you take on short courses at an early level they are likely to take you for a failure. But for purposes of limited finances, it is better than nothing at all,” Kanzaire explains.

However, Pius Ruragwa, another parent, is of the school of thought that academic qualifications depend on how they are used.

"Having many certificates from different courses could be better than a single degree, because that is proof of participating in a variety of fields. If the individuals chose to use them well then they are in for different benefits,” Rurangwa explains.

For Immaculate Umulisa, a parent in Kimironko, a short course in tailoring helped her acquire the skills and up to now she can do such a job.

"I took it up because I was bored during my Senior Six vacation but even if I did not have what to do, I could start up something using the same skills I acquired years ago,” Umulisa explains.

What are the benefits of doing a short course?

Mary Ingabire, Senior Six vacationist:

Our generation is for very knowledgeable and open-minded people, and this requires multiple skills and acquaintance with different things in life for one to cope easily. Short courses not only provide extra awareness and skills in a short period of time, but also improve one’s understanding, attitude and present several opportunities to that person. They are worth a try.

Linda Black, student: It is said that leaning never ends, and it’s through learning new things that we realise how talented and capable we are. Taking a short course opens to one more opportunities for jobs. If you happen to have few hours to engage in study, a short course is ideal. It acts as a catalyst to both your academic and professional development.

Patience Isaro, student:

We live in a competitive world, and things have changed a lot, especially on the job market. Employers are seeking individuals with multiple skills, and I believe one way to position ourselves for this is to enrol for short courses. From my point of view, short courses give a student basic information and knowledge thus turning one into a more competitive person.

Emmanuel Ndayisaba, Senior Six vacationist:

I think taking short courses is a good decision for any student as it improves their academics.  Short courses not only boost one’s CV, but it also equips them with different essential skills and knowledge in addition to your actual studies.