Training as an OT at 54

[shreddies]

I would really love to be an OT. I keep looking at other things that I could train to do and this is what I always come back to. I am really done with my current career, but need to work until retirement. I have some savings, but am a single parent with two teenagers, I co-parent with their dad, so am not alone in this, but obviously, I need to be able to earn a decent amount.

Is this at all possible? Am I too old? If I could cover it financially would I be able to get work? And how easy is it to move on from band 5 when you are qualified, as that would be tight to live on

I don't know, but I'd like to do the same. I'm 45 now.

Financially I wouldn’t recommend it OP. I am an AHP with 20+ years of experience - even working at band 7 level I often struggle to make ends meet as a single mum with a 20yo DD. I love my job but the money just isn’t enough in a sole earner household.

Thank you. Perhaps this needs a rethink.

I’m a health care lecturer and we have older students than you on our programme. I agree it’s worth looking at salaries in your local nhs trusts to make sure it’s what you’re looking for.

There are different routes in MSc if you already have a degree, BSc or there are some apprenticeships around. You would be entitled to the equivalent finances as your would if you were doing a first degree and you should also get a bursary that should be for support on practice placements.

our more mature students do sometimes find it difficult getting into academic work but universities should support with this. It can also be challenging to work alongside studying if you do a course where they expect you to do practice placements blocks that are full time ie 37.5 hours a week.

I’m an AHP (band 7) and do a lot of recruiting etc. Band 5 is your junior / generalist / get all of your skills under your belt, work out what you’re good at and what you like before you specialise. There is nothing more annoying than getting a clearly B5 AHP trying to do a B6 job and it taking a year or 2 (that they should still be B5) to be able to fulfil the role. You should really aim for 2-3 years as a B5 to have enough skills to specialise and grow into a specialist role.

Thanks, I totally get that @ssssskssskchee, in my current workplace people push hard to get to the next grade up as frankly they need the money to live on. But it means a lot of people are promoted before they're ready to do the job, so I hear you