To retrain at 45

[Rockmehardplace]

For years now I’ve really wanted to be a social worker. I have a degree & work in a vaguely similar field so could do a postgrad in 2 years. But am I being ridiculous to think about retraining at 45?

All opinions welcome!

Go for it! I'm 41 and about to start a degree to further my career. I should complete it at 44 and realistically, I'll then be working for at least another 20 years, so it will be worth it. Once you've done your 2 years, you'll have 20 years to be a social worker still. You're definitely not too old.

Lots of people in the profession retrained in later life. It's quite a sensible route to go as to do the MA you're usually ready to start work after 18 months, when your last placement finishes (though in an unqualified role before registration comes through) So it's quite time/cost effective.
Once you've got 1-2yrs under your belt you're considered experienced, so you don't miss out by not having started earlier.

No do it. I started a new career at 41 and am glad I did.

I started my nursing degree at 36 and my Masters at 50. It’s never too late.

Why not? Social work is one of those jobs where being older and having more life experience is bound to be an advantage.

Best of luck.

Definitely not too late! I wouldn’t recommend anyone train as a teacher, but that’s not what you’re planning, so that’s irrelevant. Good luck

Absolutely! Life experience is particularly valued in social work x

Not at all! I decided to specialise in a role I had done unofficially for a while and enjoyed, at the age of 52. I knew I still had a good 15 years to go and didn't want to regret not trying. I went to college at night (oldest in the class!) and got the qualification which led to a specialist role, which then allowed me to move jobs a year later to an organisation that values my experience, and have just got a second promotion at the age of 57.

If It's what you really want to do, go for it and good luck!

Do it ! I am the same age and doing same course ! It’s not too late for clearing.

I started retraining at 47, and still have loads of courses I want to do!

Aw brilliant, I thought people were going to tell me I was mad! There is NO WAY I would have been capable of doing the job at 22 and just out of uni but really feel I have loads more to offer now.

Off to look at clearing!!

I have been looking into this but to fund it would be extremely difficult for me.

You dont get certain bursaries if it's a masters. I couldn't afford my bills as well as working part time with all of the work that comes with it.

I changed career in my 40s. Go for it! Never let a number hold you back.

Go for it! I trained for a profession in my late 40s and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Tuition fees for masters are topped to just over 4 thousand per year, my university the fees are 6. So its finding 2 thousand per year. Plus there's no guarantee to be accepted for the NHS bursary and Grant's.

@MrsHastingslikethebattle have you looked into whether there's any schemes you're eligible for? Theres a new route of paid apprenticeships, as well as being paid to do the MA training for graduates with a strong academic background.

findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses/381

thefrontline.org.uk/frontline-programme/

Other options could be if you took a role as a residential worker in a local authority children's home you may well be offered the chance to train as a social worker by the LA (on condition you remain working with them) Our authority tries to recruit our good family support workers/resi workers/contact workers for the degree every year or so. Obviously they don't accept everyone but it's not actually that competitive as not that many people want to do it!

I'm just about to start a social work apprenticeship. I currently work within the CYPS team and I'm 43, I think my experience in other jobs will bring a lot to the role. O certainly don't feel too old to retrain

Ultimately though retraining will rarely provide enough funding to keep up existing outgoings. Most people on my course did it with the NHS fees bursary + living costs bursary (which came to about 1200 for a term) along with a combination of reducing outgoings wherever possible (eg no holidays, putting the car SORN when off placement, or swapping to a budget run around), saving up ahead of the course, using student overdrafts and an interest free credit card and doing some part time work. Usually something like one or two night shifts a month in a children's resi. Whatever part time work you can do makes a big difference because you're under the tax threshold so there's minimal deductions. In the masters you'd usually start in the September, have a couple of weeks at Christmas, Easter and a summer break to work, then study and on final placement. It's about 18 months to get through and starting salaries at the other end are typically 28k+, so depending how that compares to current pay, might be manageable with the knowledge that you can pay off accrued debt.

Don't hesitate, sounds like a great idea ! Good luck

sounds like the sort of role where someone in their 20's wouldn't have a lot of credibility - go for it.

Absolutely go for it. You've got another 20 years of working left! So you're not really that old in that sense

Good idea! Go for it !

I signed up for an MA Social Work in 2019 aged 44, I completed my course this year. Am having some time off before applying for jobs etc now but will be starting pobably in January. My background was in the social work kind of area but in a polcy role so it was relevant for the course.

I had been toying with it for a while but decided to apply in the August before the course started in Spetember and was admitted after a phone interview, most of the others had applied earlier but the admissions person said that they always had 3 or 4 that didnt turm up so there was usually vacancies all the way up to the course start date.

Funding is available - I got a payment of £4,000 a year from NHS funding (its available to all on accredited courses I think) and could have applied for a contribution to living costs + childcare costs but its means tested so a combination of savings and a partner working meant it wasnt worth applying. Realistically you will have to cover lving costs as it is fairly full on and so you cant really do a regular part time job alongside the studying, especially during the placements which effectively are full time employment.

On my course fellow students ranged from 21/22 up to late 40s and invetiably I guess there was a split between the very young (many of whom had started the MA directly after graduating) and those of us who were a bit older but we as oldies could contribute more to the seminars/discussions etc. It was quite scary to realise how young some were - eg when talking about events such as the 1997 election or the millennium to be told "oh I was only 2 then so dont remember it". This past academic year we havent been in to university at all so its felt a bit disjointed but from September I think they are going back.

The placements for me were a bit frustrating as I was doing more basic work than I was used to prior but taking it in the spirit of a new experience it was quite satisfying to reflect on (you do a lot of relfcting on practice in social work!), my placements also were severely lessened by the Covid situation - in my 100 day placement for example I didnt meet in person my fellow team members once and really missed the general office life and discussions that form a key part of practice learning. It was tricky also to fit in the placement around home schooling but we managed it. Hopefully university/placements will be back to normal from this years students.

As you are probably aware once social workers complete the course we have a probationary asye year in employment which sounds good as it will ease into the job, a friend who did the course five years ago said that it felt a bit over cauitious and hand holding for her but was happy to ensure she was doing everything correctly.

So go for it - get your application in soon and you'll be a newly qualified social worker in 2023!

Hi, OP - this new board has just been set up:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students/4362811-NEW-BOARD

So do feel free to start a new thread or ask for this one to be moved there - if you feel it would be useful.

If you can afford it , gp for it op! You have years of working ahead of you.
I have a degree and pgce but its v v difficult to get teaching jobs in the country i am in (sounds crazy but true!).
I have been working freelance for years in a related area to my degree but now my dcs are all in school ive starting doing some extra courses for different sectors. Im 37 so not young but i recall late 30''s amd 40's on my pgce years ago.

I retrained at 47, and that was 4 years ago and I'm very proud to say I have never earned as much as I do now . Changing careers was the best move I ever made, every one goes on about training the young, but forget people often need to retrain in later life too, there is little information about it out there and little support available to us. Do it, your age and years of experience will contribute immensely and don't let people put you off, I went back to University in my 40s and went for jobs up against my far younger peers and got the jobs. Just remember you have a wealth of transferable skills and many employers relate to older staff too, just don't give up.