EXPERTS from the Open University (OU) are to launch a series of advice sessions in the new year for anyone interested in a new challenge.

The organisation will be holding one-to-one advice sessions in the Clayport Library, Durham City, starting on Wednesday, January 17.

The sessions will take place twice a month, from 10am to 1pm, and no appointment is necessary.

The Open University's regional director, David Knight, said: "Our advisors will give people clear, straightforward advice about how the OU works, and which courses might be useful.

"We've found that face-to-face contact with potential students really pays dividends."

Among those supporting the scheme is father-of-two Ian Robson, from Castleside, near Consett.

As a member of the Royal Air Force, he worked as a weapons technician - a job that included stints stationed on carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Illustrious

The 38-year-old needed a qualification that would help him make the transition from the RAF to civilian life.

He said: "I had to prepare for life outside the services, and my CV was a bit light on qualifications.

"I knew that skills like arming a 1,000lb bomb would not be of much use in civilian life, and an Open University BSc degree seemed like a good place to start.

"Towards the end of my RAF career, I was away at sea on aircraft carriers for up to three months. The OU's distance learning method worked really well for me, I could just take my textbooks on board."

Mr Robson's dilligence eventually gained him a 2:1 honours degree, and he now works as a manager for technology business EDS.

The OU sessions at Clayport Library, which are supported by the education initiative Aimhigher, will be held on January 17 and 31, February 14 and 28, March 14 and 28 and April 11 and 25.