Retraining as a mature student - what would you do?

[MrsWhites]

Hi everyone,

I’m a 40 year old stay at home mum, my husband has a job that includes a lot of travel so it made sense for us as a family to have someone at home full time but my youngest is now coming towards the end of primary school so I feel like it’s time for me to start looking at getting back to work in the next few years. I am looking at starting an access to higher education course this year with a view to starting a degree afterwards - preferably through the open university.

Before becoming a stay at home mum my job was in Health and Safety with some facilities management but I hated it so don’t want to go back down that route. My interests are mostly in history but I don’t want to spend years on a degree that won’t open doors for me careers wise so I’m unsure of whether a history degree would be right for me either.

Has anyone else been in a similar position and would recommend (or not as the case may be) the degree and career route they took?

Thanks!

I am quite handy at tiling 😂

Can I ask why you say that @SwimmingSnake, has it not led to career opportunities for you? This has been my concern with history.

For someone starting a first degree in their teens / early 20s I’d say History is a perfectly good subject, providing a gateway to graduate schemes or vocational training for a profession. I suspect you’d find graduate schemes less congenial in your 40s so it would only be a wise choice if you a) intended to move on to something like legal training, or b) have a strong interest in History, and connections, maybe via volunteering, to an institution that will employ you once you’ve graduated.

Personally, in your position I’d be inclined to try to get your degree more speedily via an in person course. Then you’ll have more options - sooner.

@Wordless that’s exactly my thinking, if I were younger I’d definitely go down that route but I need something that’s going to have a direct route into a career at my age.

In person isn’t really an option due to my other commitments - I have parents who require an element of caring/support too.

Appreciate your input, as you’ve cemented what I already thought myself.

Occupational Therapist. Might be able to do a degree apprenticeship depending on your LA.

@Tulipvase i was thinking possibly health sciences and had also thought of occupational therapy, will look into this a bit more.

Occupational Therapy was one of the worst careers for salary and career structure and for professional recognition.
My sister went into accountancy at a similar age. Started with AAT and retired as Fellow Chartered Accountant. Variety of work, an accountancy firm then a small business or two, some agency work then Civil Service. Treated well in most places and made decent salary.
Edit: to add that sensible salaries paid to her at early stages, could have lived on them it wasn't that she had to qualify fully to live.

What about heritage studies with a view to employment in a museum or similar? I have no idea what employment prospects are like in that field but if you could volunteer at a fairly major museum or national trust property while studying it's possible you could get into employment that way?

@Phoebefail I have thought about accountancy but I’ve wondered whether in a few years it will be a dying industry because of apps and technology allowing people to manage their own books more effectively?

@Turkeyhen that would be my ideal but like you say, from my research employment opportunities are few and far between - I live in a city with 1 large museum and 2 smaller ones and one national trust site, they largely work off volunteers and have very few paid roles available. Those roles when they do come available are highly sought after so as a newcomer to the industry at approx 45 years old I’m not sure I’d be in with much of a chance unfortunately 😢

You’ve identified one of the main differences between building a career in early adulthood, and later - mobility, or the lack of. Young people can so much more easily move across the country, or to another one, if necessary for progression - but you seem to be anticipating remaining in the same place for years to come? Presumably for schools etc?

It does make things harder.

If you were to start volunteering at one of the local heritage sites while studying you would be well placed if and when a paid role comes up though. And you would have relevant work experience and references if applying elsewhere in the heritage sector.

Meant to add that heritage jobs are unlikely to be taken over by AI

I did a degree in Environmental Health in my 40s, walked into a decent job which I love. Its so interesting and it has 5 career paths. Health and Safety is one of them.

Im older than you and I’m just coming to the end of my access course I’ve got a uni place for September, nursing, guaranteed job at the end. Not possible on OU though.

In the NHS or local authority? Starting wage for an OT in the community is approx 35k now. I’m not an OT but know a bit about it. Quite a lot of scope for progression too but of course, it’s local government so pay is going to be lower but you have to think of the other benefits.

The apprenticeships in my area pay coordinator wage which is approx 30k… not a bad salary whilst training. That also applies to SW too.

@Ilovegoldies I think I would find this really interesting, I did enjoy this sort of side of my health and safety role but when I looked into this I couldn’t find anywhere that offers this degree as an online course.

My children and caring for my parents are a bit of a barrier to me committing to attending in person - which does limit my options somewhat.

I trained as an occupational therapist in my late 30s and have regretted it ever since. I'm now training to be a psychologist which I love.

@Turkeyhen this is still something I am considering, I have been chatting with a lady I know who volunteers at a national trust near us.

@Tulipvase health sciences and perhaps occupational therapy are definitely on my short list. Having a large salary isn’t the most important thing to me, we have lived off my husbands salary for years I have been a stay at home mum so any salary I bring in will be a bonus. It’s more about me finding a job that I enjoy and that suits our family circumstances and from what I’ve read there can be a level of flexibility in occupational therapy roles.

@Ilovegoldies just looking back at the open university website, would a public health and well-being honours degree be suitable for environmental health do you think? The OU lists it as a potential career route but obviously you’d have a better knowledge, being in that area yourself? Thank you!

@yerbamate sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it, any particular reason? Glad you have found something else you enjoy!

@Wordless that is absolutely the difference between training as a school leaver and as a mature student. One of my children is coming up to university age and is quite nervous about going but I’m hoping I am a cautionary tale for her - I fell into a job after finishing my a levels and got used to the money so didn’t go ahead with my plans for a history degree. That role led to a career in health and safety and although I progressed well and gained professional qualifications it is a big regret of mine that I didn’t go to university when I was younger.

Like you’ve said, now I have barriers that I wouldn’t have had back then, childrens schooling, ageing parents and my husbands job being the main ones.

That said, I have loved being a stay at home mum and all the opportunities that has afforded me with my children so who knows which route turned out to be the right one.

I don't like the work. I thought it would be about helping people reengage with meaning in their lives but it's actually all about fixing people's practical problems about their toilets, showers, getting into their house up and down the stairs, out of bed, being hoisted...but some people really genuinely enjoy it. But it's really not for me.

I think ideally that’s what it should be about but as with all public services it is massively underfunded and understaffed.

I think there is still a big difference between working in the community and the NHS. Community is more varied.

@tulipvase to a degree but we did placements in nhs and although there were more kitchen assessments ie asking people to make a hot drink and some food. It was still a lot about equipment and personal care. It's absolutely fine if it's what you're happy doing and I wish I'd considered that more before I trained.

@yerbamate I understand what you mean. I remember when one of my grandparents was as being discharged home from hospital and we were given access to an occupational therapist, we thought they would work with her to help her remain independent in her home but it was more about what equipment they could provide than actual support. As someone else said, likely a result of underfunding.