Too old to retrain?

[AmItooold65]

I am a 55 year old woman and I want to retrain as a speech and language therapist. My children have flown the nest and I am no longer tied to a particular area. After being unhappy most of my career - stuck with it for financial reasons - I feel it’s time to do something for me. Am I being ridiculous? Is this a mid life crisis?

Of course I meant "your never too old to retrain" ^^

What is the demand for people with this qualification? How likely are you to get a job or even have a choice of roles?

If demand is high, and the funds are available to pay people to do the role, then I would absolutely encourage you to go for it.

Once you have the qualification, you too will be in demand and will have some flexibility around what you do.

If however the market is already over crowded, with more qualified people chasing fewer jobs, then it makes less sense for you to add to the numbers. You may be at a bit of a disadvantage in securing your first role.

Give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding at the course. Lots of educational establishments run study skills courses, introductions to the library usage etc which can be helpful in building your confidence. Generally, 'mature' candidates are highly motivated and can easily outperform those straight from school, so long as the have confidence in their abilities and/or can find what they need to build that confidence.

A great mark in the first assignment comes as a welcome bonus. Asking for help anytime you don't score highly.

All the very best.

@Teenageromance

Sorry I’m going against the grain here and as someone in their 50s I think you have left it too late. You will be what 58 when you qualify or older? Don’t know if you have a place this year or would have to do foundation. So you will have to work to 67 but you might well not be able to but even if so you are only putting back about 7 years after your training. Don’t think you should

Please don't take this poster's comment to heart. I worked as an HCP for years and now train them. Some of the best clinicians I've known, trained in their 40s and 50s. Regardless of how long they have left to work, their impact on their patients and the profession is fantastic, and the fact that they have so much life experience to bring but aren't working in management or leadership, so removed from the front line, is great.

Go for it!

Thank you everyone. I am currently looking at all available courses. Also trying to get my head around what funding might be available for a second degree in speech therapy. Think I might be able to get fees paid not sure if I would get a maintenance loan.

Check out the Masters Route. You can get student finance for up to £10000.

Definitely can’t go down the masters route unfortunately. I don’t have a suitable first degree.
I’ve just spoken to my daughter who I hoped would be supportive - but she’s less than impressed as well.

@AmItooold65

Definitely can’t go down the masters route unfortunately. I don’t have a suitable first degree. I’ve just spoken to my daughter who I hoped would be supportive - but she’s less than impressed as well.

That’s a shame. Although I really wanted to do the course, I had the same doubts as you, was I too old etc. My daughter, in her early twenties, really pushed me to do it, and I’m glad she did. DH was not so supportive sadly.

That’s a shame. Although I really wanted to do the course, I had the same doubts as you, was I too old etc. My daughter, in her early twenties, really pushed me to do it, and I’m glad she did. DH was not so supportive sadly.

Thanks Occitane. I have wanted to do this for years but lack of support and financial constraints meant that I didn’t pursue my dream. Looking back I can see that it would have been possible if I had just been stronger. Is it so bad to want to put myself first for once? My daughter obviously thinks so! I know that I’m old but aargh!

Sorry the top quote should be in bold. Really need an edit button........

@AmItooold65 - That’s why I was put off doing the Masters OC - thought too old and my first degree (lack of science) precluded me. Discovered the University can use discretion if possible your experience can show that you can make a significant impact.

Talk to the University. Be bold. Be strong.

Definitely go for it! I am nearly 51 and training to be a hypnotherapist after 25 years in my previous career. I'm loving it ! no regrets whatsoever.....

I need to have a long hard think before I get carried away. My daughters comments brought me down to earth with a bump but she Did have some valid points.
It’s so hard. I feel I have spent my life putting others first, which as a mother I completely accepted. It just seems as if it is now too late to carve out a little bit of a life for myself.

I have also started to look at speech therapy assistant jobs - but they seem few and far between. Plus my age will again be against me.

@AmItooold65 - can you tell us what your daughter said?

I think I’m a little over invested!

You are so kind @31133004Taff to show an interest. I really do appreciate it.
My daughter talked about whether I could cope with the academic side and how I would feel being surrounded by much younger people and not fitting in. She also talked about the financial side. I would have to relocate, since I couldn’t afford to live where I do without my salary, and thinks that I’m being ridiculous. If I went next year she would still have a year to do at university and is worried about how that would be funded. I thought that if I didn’t have a salary she would get a full maintenance loan but that idea did not go down very well. I do understand, she feels that she started something thinking she would have a certain level of financial support and I am now talking about changing the parameters. I should probably stop being so selfish.

I actually did this course in Cardiff (many years ago now!). It’s an ex polytechnic but a good uni. The city is lovely, I liked living there.
The course was (probably still is) very tough. Many of us fell by the wayside (I think 30 of us started and only about 15 graduated with a SALT degree - that doesn’t include me unfortunately!). It was a four year degree there, that varies between unis and is worth checking out. Leicester De Montfort used to be 3.5 years because they maintained that was the ideal amount of time to fit the course content into!
You will need relevant “work experience”. See if you can do some volunteering, contact places for work experience. In my day they wouldn’t consider applicants without work experience. We had mature students, I think the eldest was in her mid 40s when we started but given that NHS staff won’t be retiring early you could have years in the role!

I should probably stop being so selfish.

Please don't take this to heart. Children do tend to be selfish, shielding them from the harsh realities of life are part of what it takes to tear them.

A more adult way of looking at it would be for her to find out what would happen to her finances for her final year. Could you afford any contribution? What are her chances of a job immediately upon graduating? Lots of recent graduates would take a while to get a job and appreciate having a family home as a refuge and launch pad.

Not to suggest that in a straight choice between the two of you, her needs automatically come first. Just to establish what she could expect.

Is there anything you could do , for another year in preparation. Having almost a years warning that the family home will no longer be there might be enough for her to put together a plan.

You deserve a chance.

P.S. re the masters route, often professional and life experience will be taken into account. By no means do you need a first degree for all masters courses.

@AmItooold65 - bloody love MN

Great advice here. Agree with @FinallyHere - address your daughter’s need for financial security in her final year. A parent does need to see that commitment through. That does give you additional time to prepare for the course - perhaps a study skills course and/or relevant work experience.

Or even explore the range of opportunities available to you! Play with the idea. Time is on your side. 55 is the new 45.

Thank you. I hope so!
My home will always be the family home I hope. My daughter knows that I planned to relocate somewhere cheaper at some point within the next 5 years. It is something that I have talked about regularly. It will be a smaller home but she will always have her space in it.

Hello! I am a speech and language therapist and completed my training at 45. Being older is not a disadvantage - if anything, with all that added life experience, it is a huge bonus.

Go for it!!!

Re: being older on the course and friends etc - I met my best friend on the course (about the same age as me) and we are part of a little gang of close friends who are 20+ years younger.
Your daughter may not always think that way and bitterly regret saying it in a few years time when she understands a little more about life and growing older. You have to make this decision for yourself ultimately - imagine the burden of knowing you talked your mum out of pursuing her dream.

You are all so amazing - thank you! My daughter has just phoned to apologise. She said that she appreciates that I need to be fulfilled and happy too - she’s just worried about the possible implications. We will keep talking and I will keep researching. Thank you all so much for helping me to believe that there is life in me yet!

Thank you Wren77 your post has brought tears to my eyes.

Definitely do it. I retrained at 50 and had a wonderful second career. Finances were a bit tight, but more fulfilment.

I don't believe you get your fees paid anymore which is a real shame.

There are positions such as assistants, stroke association staff, therapy assistant, teaching assistant etc roles that incorporate SLT if that was a route you wanted to go down?

It is a slog of a course so depends how long you think you might be wanting to work for, and how much debt/savings you would use to do it.

DM me if you want to chat a little more x