In New Zealand there are four university-based centres for continuing education which provide non-credit short courses. This paper presents data from a survey which was conducted with the intention of building understanding of the cohort of learners who attend short non-credit courses, to better understand their views and values and to determine whether there was a readiness or need to follow the trends apparent in overseas departments of continuing education. Policy and funding structures in New Zealand have favoured traditional delivery methods and non-credit learning. The survey of learners indicated a readiness for technology-enabled learning and interest in attaining recognition for learning. The study provides a valuable insight into an often invisible cohort of university learners and exposes important contrasts between common perceptions of adult "leisure" learners and our survey results. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)