THIS week thousands of youngsters from East Lancashire went back to school, college and university - but age and location need not be barriers to education.

Colleges across the region are working with Lancashire universities to offer a university education locally.

And a campaign aims to raise awareness about the full and part time courses available at Accrington and Rossendale College, Blackburn College, Burnley College, Nelson and Colne College and St Mary's College in Blackburn.

And it is promoting the message that you do not have to travel to study for a degree.

Working with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Lancaster University, the five colleges offer hundreds of higher education courses and qualifications.

Statistically, fewer people in East Lancashire go into higher education than the national average, which has resulted in a lower skilled and lower paid economy - the Higher Education East Lancashire (HEEL) campaign is trying to redress the balance.

After studying a series of courses part-time at Burnley College whilst her children were young, Bernadette Myring, from Colne, decided to go one step further after she was offered a job as classroom assistant at her son's school.

She completed the first year of her degree at Burnley College, and will do her final year at UCLan. Bernadette, 46, said: "Studying and looking after young children as a single parent has not always been easy. But working for a degree has been a life changing experience."

Kev Mott, from Little Harwood, is another enthusiastic advocate.

On leaving school with no qualifications, the 45-year-old went into engineering before returning to school, aged 22, to get O levels and train as a nurse.

He then went to university in Preston to gain the Certificate of Education, which led him to his current role of faith family development worker for the Board of Social Responsibility for Blackburn Diocese.

But despite having a full time job and four children aged 17 and under with his wife Gill, Kev decided to study part time for a BA Hons in theology and education studies at St Mary's College, to take his career further.

He attends lectures two evenings a week, and has just completed his first year.

Kev said: "One of my first questions was - how will I find studying full time alongside working full time? I haven't found it a problem, yes you have to work hard, but my managers are very helpful and supportive, as is the college and other students."

The HEEL campaign shows students what's on offer in East Lancashire before the region's first campus university opens in Burnley in 2009.