Am i too old to retrain?

[yehudiwho]

I am 49 and am thinking of doing a Primary PGCE - will I get a job after graduating or am I too old ....

[wild]

I graduated at 45 and got a job. Primary. You will stand a better chance of getting a job if you think 'I have stacks of transferable experience, I work hard and am organised, and because I am NQT I am relatively inexpensive - they're getting a bargain' than if you think 'I am too old'.

[yehudiwho]

I would really like to do it but am nervous about giving up a flexible, pensionable job, retrain and then be unemployed after training!

[Isabeller]

Ooh how interesting I have wondered about this on and off ever since having to withdraw from secondary PGCE during horrendous divorce 12 years ago. I've been increasingly caught up in care of elderly relatives in recent years but at 49 in a few weeks I'd love to know if this door is forever closed. Hope you get some helpful answers

[UnderwaterBasketWeaving]

(Not entirely sure that was coherent. I'm tired! Teaching is tiring!)

[UnderwaterBasketWeaving]

We've had several "older" (than a 22 year old graduate) trainees through our place. Age hasn't been a dictator of success/failure.

But we're secondary, so things might be different.

If you want to do it, and you can safely afford to train and change your mind. Why not?! Better than to not try and always wonder "what if?"