Should I just quit

[GodshmodIwantmymonkeyman]

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I started a Social Care Assistant training course. It’s a year long. Full time.
I had been a SAHP for ten years before that. Before that, I wasn’t working for a long time due to MH problems.
So, I thought this would be something to do to get on the path to employment and get back in the world so to speak.
On the second day of the course, one of the tutors told us that the course used to lead on to employment about twenty years ago when it started but now, it basically doesn’t.
You don’t need it to work for an agency. They usually provide training but they also require experience and/ or a higher qualification.
There is the possibility of going on to do a degree afterwards. I am in my early forties and not in a position to do this. There are access programmes but they are mainly for young people. Some of the coursework is interesting, some is quite dull. It’s a lot of hard work.
The tutors are all quite negative about care work - how tough it is, how crap the pay is, the dangers etc. The course has a very high drop out rate. The numbers have gone off a cliff since the start and morale is on the floor since it became clear that the course is pretty pointless unless you are young and want to progress to university. They clearly don’t really expect most of us to get anything out of it or particularly care.
I know it hasn’t been very long but I don’t think it’s doing much for my mental health overall.
It’s been a big deal arranging childcare and preparing to go and do this, but I’m now thinking What’s the point? Why should I bother going through the whole year, exams, skills demos etc?
It takes about an hour and a half to get public transport and walk over there.
I don’t see myself getting much of a social benefit out of it either.
Should I just quit?
I could maybe try something else next year, but honestly, I don’t know what because I’ve done training programs like this multiple times and at the end every time I cannot get a job or even interviews because I’m still under qualified with no experience.
If anyone has any thoughts, I’d really appreciate it.

What was your objective in starting the course?

I’m a big believer that knowledge and training doesn’t go to waste. Assuming your objective is to be a social care assistant, you will clearly have a better chance of getting such a role if you do this course than if you don’t.

Also, what would you gain from quitting? It seems you need to take a step
back towards employment so this would be that. It might not guarantee you a job, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing. Being at home won’t guarantee you a job either…

My objective was to try something different to what I’ve done before, do something that would have a positive effect on my mental health and hopefully find a path to employment. The course sounded interesting and I like the idea of helping people.
The reality is I think I’ve made a mistake and I don’t know if there’s any point trying to go forward with it.

What I would gain from quitting is just not having to do the course. Some of the content is quite disturbing and distressing tbh. I will have to do a placement in a homeless hostel/ facility for drug users in the inner city. My friend did a placement there when he was a student. He was attacked and had a syringe held to his throat. He is over six foot and strong. I’m five foot, not strong and female.

I'm not sure being a care assistant as in someone who does the rounds getting people out of bed and dressed, would be good for your mental health. Very hard work and likely to be upsetting in various ways. Being a carer looking after one person might be easier. Hopefully you have learnt something from the course even if you stop now.

Thanks.
I wasn’t looking to do that sort of work. I was thinking that I’d like to work with people with mental health problems, helping them in some of the ways that I have been helped along the way.
The course is broad, and that was part of the appeal. It’s based around working with vulnerable adults generally, not just older people.

Oh right. It could be fascinating but sounds like hard work. Do hope it works out for you, by the sound of it you have a lot to give.

Some of it is very interesting and I have gotten something out of it already because a few years back I never thought I could do anything like this and now I know I can.
I think I have something to give but I don’t think I’m ever going to get work at this stage. Years ago when I was younger and there were actual humans processing the early stages of recruitment, I could at least get interviews. Now I can’t even get that far.