Honestly … is it silly to retrain at fifty three?

[fiftythreeorfour]

It probably is.

At fifty three, I’ll have an eleven year old and a nearly fourteen year old. They’ll both be at senior school.

So by the time I qualify I’d be fifty five …

And I’d be starting at the bottom.

Daft.

I finished my masters last year at the age of 51, single parent to a teenager and working more than full-time.

Do not let age or kids hold you back! Go for it!

Whatever you decide to do, the way is always forward.

Assuming you own your own home/have a private pension crack on with it.

You'll turn 55 regardless of wether you qualify for the new job regardless

I retrained at 51.
Do ittttttt!

Go for it! It's a good industry to train into anyway, as they're crying out for people. I'm in my late 40's and will be coming up on 50 when I qualify into an industry that is well known to be all but impossible to get into and facing redundancies across the industry in the UK, so you're already making better choices than me!

Go for it! I considered retraining and doing a similar post grad qualification that offered funding and was told that the cut off age for the bursary was 55 on qualification.

Before you posted the career choice, my answer was do it! Because you’d only regret it if not.

But reading the career choice it’s an even bigger DO IT! You’ll have so many life experiences you can draw on, and bring in so much fresh perspective that perhaps wouldn’t exist with people who’ve worked that role for years, or are younger and qualifying.

I’m retraining in September, aged 55. Will be 56 when qualified (PGCE). My youngest is 13, nearly 14. I think it’s a good time to do it since there’ll be fewer demands from others on my time. And since I can’t claim my state pension till 67 it makes sense to do so when there’s still 10+ years for a second career. I’m sure lots more people will do it in the future.

We definitely need more social workers and I agree with others that life experience and age is a plus for this role.

Having said that, I’d definitely speak to a few currently working social workers first. I’m a GP and all the patients I have who are social workers (and the friends I have who are social workers) have struggled massively with the stress of the job and the high workloads, and it has really negatively affected their mental health, many of them have completely burned out and had to stop working ultimately. So I would personally be pretty wary of going into social work for that reason.

Sorry to be negative but I definitely think it’s one of those things you’d need to go into with your eyes fully open to the reality of being a social worker in today’s U.K. and the stress it brings unfortunately.

I retrained at 50 very successfully - but I retrained OUT of social work!!

My reasons were to do with the stranglehold of bureaucracy on the profession. No problem with the job itself, just the ridiculous quantity of paperwork and hands tied by rules created by those a million miles from the coalface.

I'm 54, my dc are 25,23 and 21 and I'm retraining as a counsellor (was a teacher a long time ago). I'll be 55 when I'm qualified and my state pension isn't till 67 so plenty of years to make a difference.

I love the positivity on this thread. I retrained in early 40s and was worried I was too old! I'm hoping to do another qualification but need to wait a few more years as I would need to travel every other Saturday and our schedule with kids activities is too busy. When youngest starts secondary it should settle a but. If I go for it I'll be 51 qualified. This thread is really giving me inspiration

Try and get a bursary if you can or go down the apprenticeship route. They are desperate for people to train up and the money is there. It isn’t a massive salary but you will earn much more as a newly qualified SW than if you go into teaching or another similar profession.

PPs are right - it is an incredibly stressful job but I will never regret doing the training and working in child protection even though ultimately I couldn’t stay long term. There are opportunities to move into CAMHs, adult services, CBT therapist etc there’s also the option to be a contractor once you’ve got a bit more experience.

Definitely try and talk to as many people currently doing the job as you possibly can. Don’t just believe all the positive stories about changing children’s lives - there’s a lot of stress and shit that goes alongside that!

I think we always think we are too old.

Because we've been taught that 20s is our peak.

We are never too old!

I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't start a job in my 50s that virtually everyone working in that field wants to leave by the time they are in their 50s. It's an extremely difficult job in a very underfunded area.

My fifty-three year old friend is in her first year of a nursing degree and loving it!

Do it. I know 2 recently qualified social workers who are loving it. Both from deprived backgrounds, both had abusive relations, both parents, one is early 30s other early 40s. They both have a lot to offer which I think is desperately needed.

PPs are right - it is an incredibly stressful job but I will never regret doing the training and working in child protection even though ultimately I couldn’t stay long term.

As an ex-social worker, I think it is important that SWs do not stay in child care too long. It is both too stressful and it is hard to maintain a sense of proportion.

I am not aware many in their sixties can cope working full time until age 70.

Have you had menopause yet. Are you good with stress?

If you can afford to and have the spare time then go for it

I would say that, if you haven't already, then it may be sensible to ensure it's a job that doesnt require too much stress (SW will be stressful because of lack of money to help those actually in need) as you don't want to burn out and have a stressful life. Also don't forget we (I'm 52) do start to slow down physically so beware of heavy jobs like nursing as junior posts are probably more physical.
Don't have any qualifications to build on/ change direction with a postgrad qualification?

That is completely different from mid 50s.

The key considerations would be student loans repayment and salary. I believe that SW is notoriously underpaid, and at the bottom of the list of pay uplift for graduate jobs.

SW can get their tuition fees paid by the LA. There are sometimes enhancements to the advertised pay, to retain them. If you want to earn more by taking more responsibility, the option is there.

Good pension scheme, good sick pay, good holidays that you can increase the longer you’re there. But can be harrowing.

I think it’s a good earner in later life myself. And there will be no problem getting a job as there’s a huge shortage. It’s an area where being older is an asset. If you are fit and well. If you are prone to depression and can’t detach from work, probably not a good idea.

I presume all these women in their fifties sailed through their menopauses.