# Who has retrained after school leaving age in something completely different?



## Guitarjon (Jul 13, 2012)

Well it's all happened a little quick. 

Longish story short- I was a primary school teacher. Done 6 years and fed up with various elements of it (not the children). I got made redundant a couple of years back and never really felt the same. I wasn't a big fan at the time but after 4 years at uni I wasn't prepared to give in that early. 

Fast forward to a year ago me and my wife had a baby and once her maternity leave had ended I finished teaching, she went back to teaching (on a higher pay grade than me), and I got a part time evening job in the hotel I worked as a teenager/ through university whilst looking after our son during the day. 

To be honest, I've been in a bit of a quandary. I thought I'd miss teaching but didn't. Didn't really want to go back to teaching but would have been happy doing supply teaching for the income. However, 0 hour contract means no chance of better house, better cars etc. I wanted a career again. I'd quickly been promoted where I worked in the hotel but I was also loosing my brain power. 

Looking back, I always wished I'd gone into something more practical/ hands on but felt it was too late. All apprenticeships were for school leavers and even they were few and far between. The 4 years teaching degree was pretty narrow in other options. 

I ended up going to see a 'getting back to work' advisor in my sons play centre/ sure start centre. They usually deal with mums but I'm the stay at home dad and I had a career change in mind. 

After a bit of Google bashing and some phone calls I ended up expressing an interest in a training company to look at working in the trades. Unsure whether I'd want to go plumbing, electric, gas at this point. I strongly feel that school from an early aged pushed me through the acedemic side of things and went from school to six form to uni and into a job. I don't think as a 16 year old the option to go into a trade was very common. Teaching wasn't a mistake. At some point in my life to do it although do feel I was a little misguided/ too immature to decide what I realy wanted to do at 16.

This week I've had a phone call and 2 interviews to Get me onto this training scheme to become a plumbing and gas engineer. To level 3 with appropriate on site training and city and guilds. It's all gone through pretty quickly. It is costing me a fair bit of money but it's also part funded. After I've finished level 2 apparently that's enough to work on basic plumbing and be qualified. I could do with some other people in the trade to confirm a few things if they wouldn't mind? The level 3 aspect is more gas, central heating, renewable energy and electric. 

I'll be honest, I'm very overwelmed. Although I'm handy around the home a lot of this is new to me and is going to be a big learning curve but I'm pretty determined that it's going to be the best for me and my family in the future. 

Plumbers/ gas engineers let me know who you are if you are happy to answer a couple of my questions please and I'd be interested to hear if anybody else has completely retrained I'm something at a later stage of their life? How did it go? Did you have to juggle jobs/ family/ work/ study around? 

For the first 15-18 months I'll still be at the hotel and still looking after our lad. I'll be looking to get employed as a level 2 plumber for a company after 18 months fingers crossed and my son will be almost ready for school then anyway.


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## Pittsy (Jun 14, 2014)

Not me but my personal experience if its any help....

Mrs P used to work part time and look after the kids when they were younger and also so we would not be paying childcare costs.
She had various jobs including working in a care home and waiting in a restaurant which all helped but she was never properly happy. Before the kids came along she used to work for BT as a draughtsperson drawing up plans for fibre optic networks etc.

She decided a few years ago that now the kids were a bit older that she wanted to go into nursing, she completed a 1year access course, took a year out then applied to do a nursing degree. She was accepted onto the course then proceeded to finish with a 1st class degree which considering she was alos working part time as well was amazing.

Obviously it was really difficult financialy, the 1st 2 years bursaries were not a great deal then the 3rd year was literally 1/2 what she was getting for the 1st 2 but we survived.

She spent a year working on a neurology ward at the local hospital and for the last 2 years has been working as a community nurse and although she moans about it all the time she really loves it.

She has been doing very well career wise in the field she has chosen so much so that she has been accepted on her masters course starting in September so will be going back to Uni.

Obviously this time she gets paid for it so it will be easier money wise but will yet more work for her but when she finishes she will be able to get a higher banded post to the one she is on so it will pay back in the long run.

All in all we are really proud of her :thumb:

My advice would be go for it, it aint going to be easy and you will struggle but long term its going to be worth it.


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## c87reed (Dec 9, 2015)

As a primary school teacher I can certainly say that it is not the easiest of roles out there. The role itself can be most enjoyable however the increasing pressure and changing standards are the bane of many teachers' lives.

I was a 3D CAD draughtsman for a number of years, before retraining to become a primary teacher via a 3 year BA Hons. I used to have evenings and weekends off but at that time I wasn't finding the work itself enjoyable. These days I don't have evenings and weekends off and feel a lot more stressed on a day-to-day basis due to the external pressures and demands of the role, although in part due to the 36 children in the class! You can imagine how often my car gets detailed.

I am constantly thinking of other avenues for my own job role, although preferably utilising the skills that I already have. I do believe that it is easy to see other jobs/roles in a more positive light before starting them, it is only later that the pitfalls/negatives are realised.

Whatever you do, make sure that the role that you choose takes advantage of all of your skills and qualifications. I can relate to what you say as being good with practical tasks, I started out as a structural steelwork fabricator and enjoy designing and making thinks.


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## Guitarjon (Jul 13, 2012)

I've given teaching 5.5 years and feel I've given it a fair shot. Yes it gets easier in terms of your confidence and knowing what's the best way to go about things but the job itself never gets any easier. I'm always open to change as long as it's clear its for a good reason but teaching changes every time it rains... And not always for the better. Not to mention, 90% of the general public see teachers as dirt and never fully understand what we do.


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I did 3 years at collage doing plumbing, but that also included guttering and lead work. 

After I finished and went out to work I soon decided it wasn't for me... Cleaning out blocked toilets and working in generally very poor kept houses for the council. 

I was also on call for a local pub/restaurant chain, so I got a fair few jobs fishing random objects out of their toilets. 

Soon after I was offered a job polishing cars for a Ford reconditioning centre, the money wasn't the same but I've never been fussed about that. 

So I took the job, now I'm a qualified smart repaired, I can do 3 levels of qc, I polish to a high standard and tend to do a different job every day. 

Been here 9ish years, but I'm still content.

I don't paint at work, I Like to keep that as a hobby.


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## lisaclio (Sep 6, 2008)

I did a painting and decorating apprenticeship when I left school and after a good few years I decided I wanted a normal 9-5 job that wasn't dirty. So I went to work for the family business and I'm 2 months off finishing an apprenticeship in social media marketing in business. It's been hard work but I enjoy it and when I finish at 5pm work stays at work and I don't have to worry about cleaning any brushes or pots when I get home. I'm 32 next week as well. If u want something just go for it, u have nothing to lose and if u find u don't like it at the end then just do something else. 

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## goat (May 8, 2015)

Both me and my partner have done it. I did my degree in audio technology ended up working in customer service as a team leader which I really hated, jumped at the first redundancy opportunity, volunteered in conservation work and several years later I'm working as a ranger managing nature reserves. Obviously do lots practically (chainsaw work etc. And love being out and about getting my hands dirty. Also studied whilst working, postgrad qualification through Oxford university. Was hard working and studying but I enjoy learning. My partner retrained from communications as a pastry chef. We're both financially worse off as a result but happier and more fulfilled as people. 
If you enjoy learning then give it a go, you'll learn skills that can't be taken away from you and even if you don't enjoy the work at the end as much as you think you'll have an extra skill set to draw on and always give something else a go.


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## Estoril-5 (Mar 8, 2007)

I do know one thing, and most people realise once it's too late;

Do what makes you happy not the amount of money you make.

In this day and age it's all about materialistic things rather than truly being content.

If you have children and responsibilities then you need to earn a certain amount of money but if you can retrain, still meet the minimum money you need to function and you will be happier - no case to answer mate!

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## Guitarjon (Jul 13, 2012)

Cheers guys. I'm happy I'm making the rit decision. The smelly side of plumbing did cross my mind but we will see about that when we get there. Perhaps I should stick to gas when I'm fully qualified. I can do plumbing maintance work at a lo wish level within 15-18 months but to do much more (gas heating commercial, solar, electric) will need to wait until I'm fully qualified (should take around 3 years). 

One thing that's concerning me is the course I'm doing does give me a lot of practical, theory and working along side fully trained engineers but a lot of the jobs I'm seeing are specifying 5 years experience, even the lower paid ones. 

I know apprentices get the hands on experience working along side a qualified person. My course does get me on site after so much theory and workshop practical but not 5 years worth. Can anybody shed any light?


I have seen reviews of some training schemes which leave people still unqualified but this course does seem to offer more in terms of experience and hands on 'site' training as aposed to theory based qualification.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

I'm sort of doing this now, gone from working in mostly stores / warehouse roles to being a service engineer for a dental industry manufacturer. The only difference is that most of my training is on the job. Yes i took a wage cut but i'm so much closer to home and this could be the last place i ever work and it will be a career not a job.


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## Simz (Jun 7, 2013)

I spent around 15 years selling car parts and commercial parts in dealerships, then I went on the road as a rep still selling truck and trailer parts until one of my customers suggested I took my hgv test, I did this and have driven artics for the last 7 years. Easiest job I have ever had but very boring and I miss interacting with customers.


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## eibbor (Sep 8, 2015)

Im a mechanic to trade, hated working for arnold clark with a passion. Moved to an opencast coal mine which I loved but it shut down.
Then I moved into manufacturing but only as an operator which paid more than being a mechanic but it was far too boring! 
Got a chance through my work for a mature apprenticeship as an electrical engineer and landed it. Been full time at college since January and loving it. Getting paid to do an HNC although I took a massive pay cut and the mrs is on maternity pay just now it will work out in the long run.

I would say go for it. Life is too short! 


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