FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Take Your Cue From Ozzy Osbourne

By Jane Mack (TMFJane)
May 17, 2002

As an avid fan of the so-called reality TV shows, I'm currently waiting with baited breath for the imminent arrival of MTV's hit TV show, The Osbournes.

Yes, in case you haven't heard by now, rock legend, Ozzy Osbourne -- former lead singer of Black Sabbath renowned for (allegedly) biting the head off a live bat while performing on stage in the Seventies -- has permitted cameras to film his utterly bizarre life for the rest of us to enjoy.

The show has been on MTV in the States since March and it's such a hit that George Bush cashed in on the ensuing publicity and invited the tattooed Brummie to tea at the White House -- something Ozzy is rather bemused about. But then, after more than thirty years of abusing the drink, drugs and everything else that goes along with a rock 'n roll lifestyle, he seems bemused about a lot of things these days.

From what I gather his unsurprisingly precocious kids are a bit puzzled too. They're living with a rather wacky mum and dad who have allowed cameras into their home to observe the minutiae of their day-to-day lives.  However, it's not just 53-year-old Ozzy Osbourne himself who is now more famous for being a TV star than he is for being a rock star, his family have soaked up the limelight too.

At any rate, it just goes to show that it's never too late to start a new career!

Adult learning is something the Government is keen to encourage. Earlier this week they launched the 2002 Adult Learners' Week with the news that 125,000 adults have passed tests in the last year to boost their basic skills. Whether you just want to become better at your job, boost your pay packet or open up new career opportunities, there are a number of courses available, many of them free.

It depends on the area you want to study but courses range from basic skills in literacy and numeracy to re-training for educational and vocational qualifications. There are also plenty of courses purely for recreational purposes.

Your first port of call is the extensive website run by the Department for Education and Skills where, among other things you'll find their learndirect website which enables you to search its database for opportunities and information on careers and find out about getting help with childcare. Alternatively you can call learndirect on 0800 100 900. Over 80 percent of its 500 courses are online and they can give you plenty of information about a further half a million courses around the country. You can also contact your local Learning and Skills Council or else your local college who will be able to point you in the right direction.

If you're wondering how to fund a course, you can apply for a Career Development Loan. This can provide funding of up to £8,000 for any part-time, full-time or correspondence course so long as it's vocational. It's more like a "proper" loan as opposed to a student loan - it's done through a bank at varying rates of interest. However, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education can help with further information about funding.

You can, of course, do an Open University course too. It's the UK's largest university, with over 200,000 students and its great advantage is that you can study in your own time. Course fees vary depending on what you're studying but it's a good way of acquiring further qualifications without having to give up work. You can pay by monthly instalments and the University has a Financial Award Fund to help some students who would otherwise find it difficult to pay their fees.

The BBC has also recently launched a site dedicated to adult learning and offers a selection of websites and TV and radio programmes designed to help you learn from the comfort of your own home. 

In the meantime, if you want to find out how Ozzy Osbourne has added an extra string to his career bow, you'll have to wait a little longer. The Osbournes was scheduled to start on MTV in the UK this Sunday evening but has apparently been delayed because of contractual issues.

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