Retraining/Job change later in life

[the snail]

The OU was very good value when I was with them 2 decades ago, but they've jumped on the tuition fees bandwagon and ratcheted the prices up incredibly.

With so many universities offering online learning and virtual lectures due to the pandemic, and the increase in Uni's doing distance learning courses, I think the OU has not only priced itself out of the market but has also moved itself into territory with a lot of competition. Not a good move for either them or the students. It certainly put me off trying for their doctorate programme, so its lost them at least one customer and I'm sure I'm not alone.

True what you say, but a bit unfair to say the OU cashed in on fees - they were forced into it by the government, much like other universities with funding cuts. I really enjoyed my OU stuff, but I'm not sure if I would do it now, or if I could afford it.

 

[Drago]

..and therefore unlike @Drago it doesn't take me anywhere near the 40% income tax threshold!

In fairness, neither does mine. But chuck in my rental income and a few other bits I get close enough that if I had a job as well id get bent over and anally invaded by the taxman almost from the word go.

I do actually go over, but the injury award isn't taxable, which is rather nice, and that keeps me below the 40% threshold.

PS, sorry to hear about your ticker.

 

[Landsurfer]

I left the RAF at 40 with a full pension and an Engineering Degree i completed during my service. I left as a SNCO Aircraft Engineer.
After a year managing a steel works i saw an advert for a sales rep in the Hydraulic industry on two thirds of the salary. With the blessing of my wife i took the job ... I had always wanted to work in sales ....
5 years later I was on nearly double the steel works salary and had bought the company i was working for .... and work wise things have just got better and better .... We’re now a multi national Rail engineering company.
The OU, Southall Collage and Halton Collage where great help ... cant recommend them enough.
Take the chance ....

 

[pjd57]

I was in the fire brigade for 30 years. Retired at 54. A few years earlier I drifted into care work ( through my Mrs doing it ) but just on a sessional basis, so I was in control of how much work I took on.
Once the fire brigade was done I carried on with the care work but kept the hours down to roughly a day or two a week.

Eventually gave it up a couple of years ago then started volunteering with Free Wheel North at their cycle track. This has turned into a one day a week job.

Best job I've ever had.

The care work was great as a pension top up but would not like to rely on it to pay the bills

 

[cyberknight]

I was Learning rep for the union for a while at work and after years of trying to help people get help and training I gave up.The company is only interested in stuff for office staff and engineering,anyone else you have to justify it as job relevant and use it as an excuse not to give you any skills that might be valuable elsewhere.
Over the years I have done a number of courses to try and upskill but I have never gotten the opportunity to use them.Mrs ck had always put the kibosh on paid courses as she can't see the value.
So in mid 50 s looking at continuing a job that makes you physically ache by midweek but I have to keep going until I drop

 

[Tripster]

I was Learning rep for the union for a while at work and after years of trying to help people get help and training I gave up.The company is only interested in stuff for office staff and engineering,anyone else you have to justify it as job relevant and use it as an excuse not to give you any skills that might be valuable elsewhere.
Over the years I have done a number of courses to try and upskill but I have never gotten the opportunity to use them.Mrs ck had always put the kibosh on paid courses as she can't see the value.
So in mid 50 s looking at continuing a job that makes you physically ache by midweek but I have to keep going until I drop

Sorry to hear that. I have been on receiving end with companies not wanting to train me in specific stuff for fear of using it elsewhere. One example was they had me trained in NDT but it was a U.S standard and not the favoured European as all their equipment was U.S. They even had certificates sent to them and refused to have them sent to employee so never had proof of passing. It expired and never had it renewed. All because they feared I, or anyone, could use it to get further employment. Funny really because 10 years later I’m still there so obviously wasn’t leaving......looks like I will have to now

 

[marzjennings]

After 27 years in data management I took the jump into supply chain management last month. I turned 50 last year and figured I needed to learn and try something new to keep the old grey cells active. I'm lucky to be working for a company that supports and encourages career changes, and I know a number of colleagues who have made similar jumps late in their career. I may look into starting an MBA if this role proves to be interesting.

 

[Fnaar]

After a third of a century in teaching and lecturing, events in my life (one known on here) conspired to make me re-think. I didn't want to spend the rest of my working days doing a job which I no longer enjoyed, and which was actively making me depressed. I have not worked for nearly two years now, and have been living off (voluntary) redundancy and savings, but need to find work again. I am a published author, and get some (meagre) income from ongoing sales. I have also branched out as an editor and translator, doing 2 books so far, and another 2 in the pipeline. I am also going to offer online classes in one of my areas of speciality . It's been nice having time off, (and lockdown has been a breeze, tbh) though there are financial implications, but I have needed it, and am thankful (to myself) that I took time to re-centre myself, because (to use a cycling analogy) I was going downhill fast, and my brakes had failed I will be 60 this year.

 

[Tripster]

Reading the Openreach forum and Jobs board is pretty ugly reading. Years ago I applied to a fencing company for work when I was made redundant. Turn up and do a days work as assessment and then if accepted you turned up at yard everyday whilst they allocated work. Always more than was needed and if you weren’t lucky then you drove back home without a job only to try again next day.
The Openreach sounds like that. Assessment days for way more than needed and if successful you can wait over a year to get a start date if at all. Not like interviewing for a specific vacancy. The forum doesn’t match the Openreach website marketing and videos

 

[Tenacious Sloth]

We spend a large portion of our lives at work, so it’s really important that we enjoy what we do.

It’s obvious really, but the strange thing is we don’t really put a lot of thought into it until we get older and wiser, when it seems almost too late to retrain and make changes.

Certainly, in the earlier years most of our thinking time is consumed with mortgages and kids and I don’t think it really occurs to people to think too hard about whether they really enjoy their job, just that they don’t hate it.

It’s a shame really, that we have to make the most important decisions of our lives when we are young and less wise. It’s also the same with education. I’m sure that a lot of the people in further and higher education don’t realise how important it is and consequently don’t put anywhere near as much effort into it as they should. There are always exceptions of course, but I feel there’s almost a case for kids going into work experience straight from school for a few years and then going onto University or further education in their twenties when they’ve had a little taste of what it’s like out there and had more time to think about what they really want to do.

 

[Adam4868]

I'm not sure is say I've retrained but I've done plenty of different jobs ! Took a temporary job at the Post office in November which was supposed to be until Xmas.Anyway got offered temporary work at a different area after so still working as a postman.Strangely I enjoy it.I like walking and my own company ! There's a fair bit of pressure in the workloads,but on the whole I enjoy the early starts and finishes,usually done for 2...3 at the latest.I think because of Covid and the amount off sick could be another months work.Was supposed to finish today but got asked to cover someone's round for a couple of weeks.

 

[Tripster]

Regarding OU courses as opposed to trades. Looking more on the website I am interested in Psychology or Biology but def not engineering anymore. Big thing putting me off is 4 years or 6 years part time .....I will be 15 years off retirement by then

 

[Tripster]

I'm not sure is say I've retrained but I've done plenty of different jobs ! Took a temporary job at the Post office in November which was supposed to be until Xmas.Anyway got offered temporary work at a different area after so still working as a postman.Strangely I enjoy it.I like walking and my own company ! There's a fair bit of pressure in the workloads,but on the whole I enjoy the early starts and finishes,usually done for 2...3 at the latest.I think because of Covid and the amount off sick could be another months work.Was supposed to finish today but got asked to cover someone's round for a couple of weeks.

Wife’s a Posty, been with them for last 5 years. After working with horses then training as a baker she says it’s the best job ever. Loves it.

 

[tom73]

Regarding OU courses as opposed to trades. Looking more on the website I am interested in Psychology or Biology but def not engineering anymore. Big thing putting me off is 4 years or 6 years part time .....I will be 15 years off retirement by then

If you fancy mixing things up a bit the open degree maybe worth a look. Less options than it had due to course cuts. But try the degree builder you may get something you like.

 

[Slick]

I put my head down to graft at 19 years old and never really looked up again for the next 25 years when I had worked in almost every sector available to me chasing money and then starting my business where I only really started to make some real money. After about 12 or 13 years of doing that, I realised I wasn't going to go the distance at the sharp end and took another couple of years to get out and set myself up in a nice teaching job.

I loved the teaching job, good craic and the heaviest thing I had to lift was my dinner.
It wasn't long before I got pushed into lower management, which I do regret at times but for various reasons there was no real option for me. I never regretted the move and I've never looked back.