THE Arts University College at Bournemouth said it has seen a huge increase in people changing careers during the recession.

The number of people signing up for its short courses went up by 33 per cent last year to 1,200.

“We had to extend the range of short evening courses to appeal to all levels of interest and ability,” said Pete McKinley, Senior Officer at the Short Courses Office. “We encourage and welcome anyone thinking of improving their current skill-set – whether for professional or vocational purposes.”

Courses include a variety of Arts, Media, Performance and Design subjects, including Writing for Film, TV & Radio, Interior Design, Jewellery and Photoshop.

The AUCB said people are increasing their chances of finding a new direction in an uncertain job climate.

People study website building, generating applications for iPads and film-making, The college cited the example of student Jayne Wellstead, 35, from Wareham, who retrained with a photography short course.

She went on take a foundation degree in photography and went on to set up her own business and get work based training with Dorset Police’s forensic photography team.

Photography tutor Mark Gregory said: “Our short courses are ideal for anyone with an interest in photography who wishes to enter the professional arena.”

The average course fee is £199 for 10 weeks training.