AIBU to want to retrain at 35?

[blahblahblahhhhh]

35 married mom of 2 (5 and 13).

I didn’t return to work after may leave with 5yo (schools were closing with covid at the time, he was a poorly baby, I was terrified).

so pretty much a 5 year gap.

1st class degree in education from a decent uni. All my experience is working in early years, SEN, nursery/reception upto year 2.

No maths gcse (I suspect I have dyscalculia but formal testing has never been done). This stopped me going for PGCE so I stayed at HLTA level.

I feel as though I have no options. I want to find my way back into work now DS is at school but at a loss of what I can do outside of school work that works around kids? Or is that my only option? Earning potential is just so so crap.

DH earns around 40k but after tax and with £1150 etc rent we get UC top up of around £1000 a month at the moment. Puts me off even going back because that is pretty much what I’d earn? (I am not lazy and have always worked beforehand! Just want it to be worthwhile for all of us!)

Hey OP, I don’t think you meant to post your thread in alcohol support? You can ask MNHQ to move it to a different place.

Oh crikey. No I didn’t! Thank you for the heads up! Meant to post in AIBU!

No worries!

If you want something to work around kids, it will likely have to be school-based. However, it doesn't need to be teaching. Have you considered pre-reg masters for something like SaLT or OT? Band 7 salary is close to 46k, not amazing but likely more than what you can earn in your position and with your experience, I'd imagine you can reach band 7 within the first 24 months. I requalified at 37 and it took me about 18 months to progress from Band 5 to Band 7.

If you don't have maths gcse I'm impressed that you were employed as a hlta.

Focus on getting that and go and train to teach. You'll be fabulous with all that experience.

Would you consider retraining in something that’s not school hours and using after school clubs? You could then work 9-5 and it really broadens your options.

I was about your age when I decided to return to work and get a professional qualification. It was difficult but I did it. I started off by identifying an employer and got a basic job with them and worked my way up. You've got years of working life ahead of you and a great education, nothing to stop you. Get a target and go for it.

The pension age is going to keep moving up, you have decades of work ahead of you so go for it! Good luck!

Government website has loads of options on free courses in different industries.

There is also the tech industry which is great for flexible working for women (been in that industry 30 years, it's changed a lot)

Some tech companies specifically target women like you with the bootcamp training, also people who did not do well in a traditional educational system, diverse candidates etc.

ServiceNow as one example in the tech industry run those kind of bootcamps and set up interviews after.

I retrained in my 30's. Absolutely no regrets.

I spent a long time thinking about what kind of work I would like to do. How important are the working hours, the ability to WFH or not, as part of a big team or mostly solo, need for flexibility, holidays, pension, job security etc.

I thought about the things I really disliked and the things I liked with previous jobs, what I found fulfilling and stimulating and what I wanted to avoid like the plague.

Then I had a look at what kind of courses were possible for me to do locally or online, how I would finance and fit studying alongside my current commitments. That ruled some retraining options out, which was helpful.

I know there are no specific answers in there for you, but I didn't want to retrain twice as it's a big commitment, both financially and time wise, so I did really think hard about who I am, what I want, what previous life experiences have taught me about myself.

I'm so glad I took the leap and went for it. Best wishes for it all!

I had an interview for an MSc in Occupational therapy today and have been accepted for a January start! Thanks for the advice, really feel it’ll suit me and the progression and earning potential are much better than returning to support staff roles in a school.

Any advice if it was OT you trained in? Or generally! Thank you ☺️

This advise is very area specific. In some counties no permanent band 6 nhs peads jobs come up for years on end. In my service it would be unheard of to be band 6 within 18 months let alone band 7. We have band 5s who retrained and are very experienced in both previous and current roles but have no hope of a promotion until someone leaves or retires.

I wasn't promoted, I proactively applied to positions in other teams. Both my band 6 and 7 positions were on fixed term contracts. I am currently on the third round of one year fixed term and was just offered a permanent contract. Agree though that it easier in some parts of the country than others. London has dozens of positions come up every week, west country a few per month. South coast, probably very slim chance of any jobs at a higher level as people tend to stay put.

Yay!! It's an amazing job. You can work in so many settings and really tailor it to your passions. Depending on where your course is, studies can be very intense and don't worry about questioning yourself in the first trimester of your course. I don't think any of us managed to wrap our heads around what we were doing until the first placement.
Which uni are you going to if you don't mind saying?

Sorry, I phrased that badly. No jobs at higher bands come up in my county so there’s nothing to apply to and it’s a large county to commuting out wouldn’t work. For those of us that are tied to the local area and don’t want more than an hour’s commute each way each day band 7 is just not an option. People are stuck on low wages for a very a long time and it seems to becoming an increasing issue in the nhs as funding means higher banded posts are not replaced or a let effectively de-banded when people leave. I think recommending it as well paid career only works when you know people live in large cities or in an area where there’s lots of smaller trusts around which are commutable.

That's fair but OP is considering school support roles which, I am certain are paid below what band 5 would earn. And there is no career progression. I think re qualifying in a clinical role is a better long-term solution even if takes a little while to find a higher band role. After two years she will also be eligible for locum and agency work which is much better paid. Not to mention that she can set up her own private enterprise. .
My current role is remote so I can be anywhere in the country to do it. Those also exist.
There are options which is what matters. Plus, OT is a really really fun job!