dh in a rut, thinking of retraining - any teaching/psychology/social work insights?

[petelly]

My dh has an MA in humanities. He worked for a number of years in a children's home as a kind of 'house-parent' for the children when they were out of school and did really well in that role.

Then he came to the US for my career and took time out to be with the children. We were there for 4 years and came to the UK 2 years ago. For the last 2 years he's been looking for work and nothing's been happening. He has some part-time freelance teaching that pays nicely but zero job security and zero career progression. However, all the proper jobs he applies to - which on paper seem perfect for - he doesn't even get shortlisted

It's been depressing but not terrible because what with the part-time work and taking care of the children, he's busy and we have enough money to pay our bills. It's come to a head now that our youngest is starting full-time nursery. DH is worried his career is in a rut and I agree.

So, we've been thinking about retraining for a professional qualification of some sort. Because DH did so well in the children's home, we were thinking a people oriented job would work for him and we've been looking for options in teaching, psychology and social work. All of them would involve a period of training and he'd be starting from the bottom - but that's fine as long as he could find work!

Does anyone have any insights on any of those professions (or any other advice!)

Thanks!!

My first degree is in psychology and I'm halfway through a social work masters. I found that psychology is an extremely competitive career choice and I just couldn't get anywhere. When I finished my degree the accepted route into clinical psychology was to start as an assistant and then apply for the clinical training. The assistants posts were ridiculously rare in my area (the whole of the north west) and over subscribed.

Maybe I just wasn't good enough and your DH would do much better than me though! And there are probably other routes in via specific therapy training etc.

I also looked into doing a PGCE but teachers I spoke to were not positive about the profession. Even if they loved teaching, they spoke of ridiculously long hours and a lack of jobs. Apparently it's not unusual for teachers to take jobs as teaching assistants (?) because they can't find other work. Maybe someone else can comment on this?

Like I said, I'm now doing social work training and I'm finding it a really great way of working with psychology in a real life context. Looking back I feel that psychology is perhaps slightly removed from real life; reducing people to quantifiable data. IMO social work training teaches you about all the multiple influences on people's lives. Of course it has its grim side, but I'm loving it And there are so many different career paths you can go down with it.

There is a bursary available for postgrad students.

Good luck!

Thanks Zinglebert.

I've heard similar things about psychology - that it's very competitive. While I have every belief in DH's abilities, we need to get this retraining right and make sure that there's a realistic job opportunity at the end of the rainbow. Our finances are going to take a hit and with two kids to support, we just cna't risk it.

DH doesn't want to go into statutory social work. He had plenty of contact with social workers at the children's home and knows it not's for him. However, like you said, we understand that there are other opportunities that open up with a degree in social work.

Teaching makes a lot of sense because of his experience and because he loves his subject area with a passion - but the lack of jobs is a worry and also DH is not so keen on teaching the 11-14 age group!!!

What about primary? Aren't male primary teachers quite sought after? (no idea where I have got this from!)

I'm a fairly recent convert to the teaching profession. I love it but have seriously never worked harder in my life, or in my previous occupations. I'm often still marking or prepping at midnight, however that isn't solid work as i tend to leave (secondary school) around 5 or 5.30, collect the kids, feed them etc etc and so don't really start proper work again until 8.30 pm or so, so it is useful in that a lot of the extra work you can take home and do it when it suits, rather than having to stay physically in the building.
The other issue is that of jobs, i'm a scientist/biologist and was sucked in by the previous govs propaganda of a shortage of science teachers. There may well be in London/SE/where-ever, but there certainly isn't in my part of yorkshire, or in durham/northumberland/scotland for example. However i'm lucky in that I have another maternity leave cover at a different school so am being continually employed, just not in the single job i'd hoped for. (There were three permanent jobs advertised last year that i could possibly have commuted to - one wanted a biologist/psychologist, one a biologist/chemist and one was a rc school with an insider rc applicant.) Even tha mat leave job i applied for (and got) had more than 25 applicants.
OK so that's the downside, but it really is (mostly ) a fab job - you have to stay on the ball at all times, the kids are fab/challenging/delightful/hard work/hardworking/rude/polite/charming and everything else inbetween. The buzz you get when your lessosn go well, and the kids leave going "thanks miss, that was great" is enormous, the long lasting swell of satisfaction when your first set of A2 students overperform and get 50% more A grades than predicted - well i'm still grinning now 10 days later.

That was a lovely post Loshad.

I know DH would throw himself into it if he decided to go for it. He prepares very well for his freelance teaching (for adults) and has got very good feedback. We're in London,btw, so by the sound of it there may be more job opportunities but as he's in the humanities he won't have an easy ride when job hunting (but couldn't be worse than now!).

ZInglebert - I dont think primary is his thing but we've never really discussed it. I think he'd be happiest in a sixth form college but jobs there are far and few between.

Could he maybe look around for a primary TA job to see if he liked working with primary age children.

At dc school unless the male candidates are totally mad they always get an interview and often get the job. It sounds like your dh previous experience would make him a really good candidate

With an all female staff if they don't have the male TA things like boys swimming is really tricky, and some years have had to ask dads with flexible hours to help out.

Also I would have thought that applying for a PGCE from a TA job would increase his chances.

don't you need an NVQ or something to get a TA job?

Nope, just taken on and then work for them I think.

OPs dh has and MA (so well educated) & experience working with children so I think that will be enough.

I think in general men are sought after in all these professions.

I'm a psychologist & yes I agree it's very competitive. However, the bottom line is what he wants to do & how good he is. If he's good he'll be fine (particularly being a man). The quickest route is probably a teacher's training (PGCE) so perhaps he should look into primary school teaching.

Psychology tends to be quite 'scientific' ie experimental, and less clinical. If he likes being around people perhaps a training in counselling might be another idea? He can work full time while doing it, and doesn't need to be a psychologist to do it. It's a very good career too, with many options.

Maria2007: I think the being good thing can work but if you've got loads of more highly qualified people going for even the entry level jobs then you're effectively squeezed out of the market. In DH's current field, you've got people with PhDs and loads of experience applying for jobs paying 20k (in London)so he's not even able to get a foot on the ladder.

I think he'd enjoy the intellectual rigour of psychology but the training would be significantly longer than teaching.

Jicky: Great idea about TA jobs. We're going to start looking although probably a bit late for this academic year. He's experienced working with children with learning and emotional difficulties so that might help. I didn't think being a man would make such a difference - good to hear!

Petelly, I hear you about not being able to get a foot on the ladder; I agree, it's difficult. As I said, a training in counselling / psychotherapy might be another option.

By the way (completely random question). Do you know what's the best place to be looking for TA jobs?

If he's prepared to do statutory social work, especially in children and families but in many other areas too, employment is practically guaranteed. I'm not sure I'd particularly recommend a social work course if he's not interested in the statutory side of things though. 3rd sector organisations won't usually be looking for their front line workers to have a professional qualification (even those who would value a social work qualification won't pay commensurately) and he might be as well looking directly for entry level jobs. Despite the bad press social work gets it can be a very rewarding and interesting job though. I'm in adult mental health and mostly love it.

Thanks everyone - very helpful

Just to update you - after thinking about things, DH is going to try to get on to a PGCE in either RE or History for 2011. Now to get some classroom experience....

One thing your DH could look at, with his experience, is looking for work teaching in Pupil Referral Units. These are for excluded teenagers. I worked in FE and I have a lot of admiration for the PRU teachers. Without exception the students I got who had been in PRUs were calm, polite and good workers.

Hi Petelly

Has your DH looked into becoming a Connexions advisor or working with the Youth Offending Team? These could be career choices that aren't Social Work but still supporting young people.

Good luck to your DH with whatever path he chooses!

Why not get back into working in a Children's home??

manda He feels that you really need a professional qualification to advance in that field. Also, and this is also the problem with social work, he gets very attached to his 'clients'.

He really loved the children at the home(he invited them all to our wedding - it was mad!)and took it to heart when bad things happened to them which they invariably did (sorry to be blunt but the children came from the most chaotic and abusive backgrounds, some of them with severe disabilities). He says he doesn't have the emotional reserves to do that kind of work again and needs some more distance than the kind of intimacy and attachment that develops when you're in semi-parental role

I'm guessing people who work in a caring role probably understand more what he means that I do (I think I get it at a pretty superficial level)

I do understand what he means ...I am a SW working in Residential for my local Council...I also never wanted to go into statutory work... so have been in 'homes' for well over 10 yrs.

What about Fostering and Adoption work, youth work, Leaving Care worker, A worker who works with families on the brink of coming into care (gets called different things), Youth offending work??
I did also work in a PRU prior to Residential - might be a good option for him as it combines SW & teaching ??