Want to have a job , no GCSEs no higher education

[Bunnybutton]

I've been a bit stupid with my life ,im almost 30 a mother and a wife and I wish I had done well in school , but I didn't ended up floating around retail work , became pregnant got married and my husband is working himself into an early grave ,I wish I could help him ...,
can't afford to retake my GCSEs or go to college ...ughhhhhh what can I do to help ??

I wouldn't wish my children away and love them to peices ... Xxx

You can do GCSEs in English and maths at a lot of local Further Education colleges, and if you dont already have a higher grade (A*-C) at GCSE, usually the courses are free. Why don't you go for it?

Why is your husband working himself so hard? COuld you do evening work, or weekends to help take up the slack? Are you claiming all the benefits to which you are entitled?

You could try to volunteering and build up some work experience that way and you'd be in a good position to get a paid job with that organisation if it came up. (A few people I know started volunteering with English Heritage/National Trust/Arts type organisations then got paid jobs with them.) Maybe a few mornings in a charity shop would give you enough experience to get paid work in a shop?

Or just put together a good CV making positives out of the work you do at home (cooking/childcare etc) to find work in a similar field? Or maybe you could earn money at home setting up as a childminder for other people's kids alongside looking after your own?

Sorry, just re-read you have work exp in retail already. Maybe go back to that line of work part time and eventually try to get on a management training scheme with your employer?

How would you feel about working with children? You don't need any qualifications to be a cover supervisor in schools, only a DBS check. The work is easy and pays quite well and also you have the freedom to have days off as and when you need them. Give a supply agency in your area a call!

Cleaning work pays pretty well in the meantime before you are able to sort GCSEs at a further edication centre.

*education

Did you not like retail?
How about bar or restaurant work?
A local coffee shop?
You could do cleaning. Your own business in that maybe.
Dictate your own hours and I pay my cleaner £12.50 per hour for min 2 hours per week.
You could offer an ironing service.
How about going into the care side of things?

Maths and English gcse are free courses to adults without them, check out your local FE college which will start them in September. There are also apprenticeships where you can work alongside gaining qualifications and Access courses for those without level 3 (A level equivalent) education.

Bumping for you

Good luck xx

How old are your children? That’s key to the finances because it affects what childcare you’d need. Do you have any family who could help with childcare? Even without that, the need for childcare won’t last for ever - you’re only 29 and you can think longer term.

Did you enjoy retail? Were you good at it? If so then the obvious thing to do would be to start at the bottom and apply yourself ambitiously rather than trying to get the paper qualifications for a different career from scratch. However you should also go back and get your maths and English GCSEs from college because they’ll be a stumbling block to lots of job applications otherwise - as pps have said, it should be free.

Not every job needs maths and english qualifications. What area do you live in?

Look at The Open University. They are there for adults with no formal qualifications. You can do short courses or degrees part time.. from home. Worth a look .

Some great ideas on here OP. Councils often run cv writing workshops in libraries and also have interview coaching sessions.

I haven't got anything either op and it's a bit overwhelming to think where to start.

If I was you I'd get back in to the work place even if it's just cleaning or retail, as it will focus your mind on what you do actually want to do in time.

There are regular jobs where you can progress with in house training.
I was a cleaner and then became a cleaning supervisor and when the job didn't suit me anymore they offered me a building Co ordinator job. All of them are hard work but Co ordinator jobs have training and ways to work to buildings management etc.

I didn't take the job and quit supervising, eventually started up a solo cleaning business for 3yrs which I'm now packing in for full time study.

In that time I also did a tech related part time weekend course which I packed in six months after finally realising what I would truly like to do.

I'm almost 30 too

Look into your local Adult Learning College, you can do functional skills courses and most have creche facilities which can come out of your funded hours if you have pre-school aged children.

Most local schools and pre-schools are always up for having parent volunteers.

What is your childcare situation? Could you do home cleaning? Avon?

Care work and cleaning usually don’t need qualifications. It’ll be minimum wage but it’ll be your entry back into work and then you can use references from that as your springboard into other things if you want.

I know someone who started as a cleaner and then set up her own cleaning agency. She doesn’t make a fortune, but she’s doing OK.

GCSEs at college can cost a lot, but Skills 4 Life classes to enable adults to take Functional Skills Maths & English are government funded.

There's more than one way to skin a cat and I promise you, GCSEs aren't the be all and end all. In fact, I can honestly tell you, I have never once been asked to show proof of my GCSE grades, even from my first employer when I just left school.

My advice would be to start temping in an office. Honestly, recruitment agencies are crying out for reliable people. You are literate and can use a computer so you're good to go! Tell them you are looking to start a career and are happy to go in at junior level and are keen to learn, gain experience and eventually be looking for companies who are willing to invest in you.

Get your feet under the table and most likely get offered a permanent position. I temped in payroll when I was 17 from a retail job. Got taken on perm after 4 weeks and now 12 years down the line, I'm qualified, well paid and sought after.

Office work isn't the most exciting of things, but it pays well and is sociable hours.

I should add, I'm now the payroll manager of a recruitment agency, so I know how desperate agencies are for reliable, hard working people. They are hard to come by and you will be snapped up honestly.

If you would consider an apprenticeship, although they are low paid, they are a good way of getting trained on the job.
Where I work in the nhs we have had several apprentices who have been trained as health care assistants, two are now training to be nurses, all while being paid. You don't have to be straight out of school either!

Can I tell you that I am 10 years older than than you and have really crap GCSE’s myself. I’ve been a single mum no childcare for 10 years too

I started as a cleaner for quite some years when kids small
I got a little admin job a few years later
Then I was a supervisor
Now I am a senior manager

It’s hard graft and you do have to take risks. I’ve done 3 courses paid for by work along the way too

Nothing is impossible x