Adults looking to gain their grade twelve diploma will be able to do so a lot faster. Deb Ison, executive director at the Portage Learning Centre says they have changed their semester format from 2 semesters over ten months to 3 semesters over twelve months. She points out students will be able to gain their diploma in on year, instead of returning for a third semester of studies in the fall. Ison says this is especially useful for adults because time is an important issue, and the sooner they can gain their diploma the sooner they can move on to other educational and career goals. She notes enrolment is strong with about 170 students for the first semester , adding there were only 253 students over 2 semesters last year. Ison adds they've hired additional staff in the literacy department, and the Learning Centre will be offering some new programs including English tech, and Physics. She says she is looking forward to a great school year, and encourages people to take full advantage of the learning opportunities offered through the Portage Learning Centre.