AN SDLP MLA has gone back to university part-time amid Stormont's continued absence to study a postgraduate business course.
Daniel McCrossan, the party's Brexit spokesperson, is studying a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Queen's University Belfast.
The West Tyrone MLA said he believes the two-year course will help him "up-skill" to better represent his constituents.
Mr McCrossan (30) graduated in 2011 after studying law in Liverpool and became a Stormont assembly member in 2016.
He described starting his induction for the MBA earlier this week as "daunting", but said he was "looking forward to the challenge".
"It was daunting when you walk in surrounded by a lot of people who are 18 years of age," he said.
"This is the only week where it's going to be so full-on with the induction and trying to settle back in.
"Even though I have only been out of full-time education for about nine years it feels so much longer, but once I got over that hurdle of the first day, I felt a lot better."
He added: "I have always tried to keep my foot in education in some way. I just made the decision to apply as I do believe ultimately this will give me the skills to benefit my constituents."
Mr McCrossan's return to education comes amid several MLAs moving to other roles in recent months.
Ex-DUP minister Simon Hamilton left politics to become chief executive of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, while Sinn Féin's Michaela Boyle gave up her West Tyrone assembly seat after being elected to Derry and Strabane council. Last week, former Green Party leader Steven Agnew also announced he was standing down as a North Down MLA to head a renewables industry organisation.
The north has not had a fully functioning devolved assembly since power-sharing collapsed in early 2017.
However, Mr McCrossan said he remains "100 per cent committed" to his constituents and the course "won't in any way affect my duties and obligations as an MLA".
Mr McCrossan said he "would argue that the lack of Stormont has led to MLAs at constituency level being more busy", but he said the course "doesn't affect my day-to-day work".
The £21,500 course, which Queen's says "will give you skills for leadership in a demanding global business environment", involves between eight and 12 hours of teaching time per week for part-time students.
Mr McCrossan said he was applying for a bursary scholarship and a student loan to cover the costs.
The MLA added: "I would encourage other elected representatives from across the various parties to consider doing something like this part-time.
"I think it's important to encourage more of our elected representatives to go back into education."
