Can I retrain for free?

happymoneysaver79

I am a full time mum to my 14 month old daughter, having left my last job of 10 years to have my long awaited baby. Whilst I am loving being a stay at home mum, our finances have taken a real battering and we are feeling the strain without my income. Our current debt is 20k + a 100k mortgage. After reading just about all the comments and suggestions on this site, we have cut back beyond belief (shocking what we used to waste our money on), but I feel so guilty that I am not contributing to the household income. I desperatly don't want to leave my baby and go back to work -but I feel that there is no other option. I can't return to my old job in healthcare because there is no longer a vacancy. I am not very well trained either and am if truthfull probably more a creative person than a practical one -pretty much had the same job since leaving school. I have searched the internet looking for mystery shopping jobs and work from home opportunities, also looked at ways of selling x-mas decorations, (have had some floristry training) (for commercial purposes such as restaurants ect) but to be honest I don't know where to start! A friend suggested contacting buyers at department stores but I am hopeless with this sort of thing. The only other option is to retrain for a proper job!!! Thing is I can't afford to pay for training but I think my OH earns too much for me to get help £30k???
Anyway thanks so much for listening to my ramblings, any suggestions would be very much apreciated - thankyou xx

piptom&AndyPandy

Hi
You said you worked in Healtcare? What do you want to do, can get sponsorship for things like Social Work, Nursing and speech therapy. So it depends what you want to do.
Other ways of earning money are supply TA work - pays about 35 pd or nursery nursing, but then you have to think about childcare. You could take a job and do an evening course. If you want to do something like accounting, then you can sometimes do a course part time e.g introduction from home and then get a job as trainee with the council or something. As I said what do u want to do?

Pippa

hypno06

Have a word with your local college of further education - they will be able to give you loads of info about what training you can get and what grants - many more than I ever realised are not based on the family income, so you may well be surprised!

chunky79

My friend is now doing her access to health and social studies course for free. One college cost £275 per term and this one offered it completely free. She is also doing her Maths this weekend for free too. You may have to look around. I also did all my RSA's word, text prcoessing and Ocr's to train as a secretary. All were free of charge and OH earns just over 30k.

Where abouts up north are you?

happymoneysaver79

chunky79 wrote: »

My friend is now doing her access to health and social studies course for free. One college cost £275 per term and this one offered it completely free. She is also doing her Maths this weekend for free too. You may have to look around. I also did all my RSA's word, text prcoessing and Ocr's to train as a secretary. All were free of charge and OH earns just over 30k.

Where abouts up north are you?

Sorry for this very late reply been up to my eyballs with problems buying house - I am in south yorkshire. I really dont know what I want to do - maybe hairdressing? Thanks everyone.

OberonSH

I did a nail course for free (well, started, childcare was in issue after a term), because I was on WTC. Might be worth contacting your local college and seeing what they say about it. A lot of courses nowadays at least give a hefty discount if not free for low income families.

immoral_angeluk

How about getting a part time weekend/evening job around when hubby is able to have your baby? I'm in the same boat so can completely sympathise. I'm applying for christmas temp jobs as we speak just to help out!

happymoneysaver79

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

How about getting a part time weekend/evening job around when hubby is able to have your baby? I'm in the same boat so can completely sympathise. I'm applying for christmas temp jobs as we speak just to help out!

I did have a weekend job but was bullied out of it (my workmate whos job it was to show me the ropes basically wouldnt unless a manager was present)and because it was my first job after having a break to have my dd it really knocked my confidence. I am really worried about fitting in - that sounds so lame! The other problem is that my partner works 13-14 hour days including travelling so spends his down time sleeping ( he has a driving job so has to be allert) he also works most weekends and ive got no other means of childcare. I have got to get my head around going to college maybe to do a hairdressing course / nail course and leave my dd in the creche. I hate leaving her - it will be so hard. wouldn't it be nice to be well off and have guilt/pressure free time to spend with your children? I used to be quite work minded but nothing compares to bringing up your children. I hope you get something worked out for over christmas, what are you thinking of doing?

happymoneysaver79

OberonSH wrote: »

I did a nail course for free (well, started, childcare was in issue after a term), because I was on WTC. Might be worth contacting your local college and seeing what they say about it. A lot of courses nowadays at least give a hefty discount if not free for low income families.

Thanks for the advice, my partner is just over the earnings threshold for WTC so dont qualify for any benefits, I have previously looked into nail courses but private ones and they were expensive - supidly didnt think to contact the college but I will now and see what they have got available.
Thanks again x