Courses

Liz65

Hi,  I am nearly 60 and have only worked in retail but would like to work in a school or vet environment but I am unsure as to what qualifications I would need (I would like to do some sort of admin work).

I don’t know if I am too old now, but would like to give it a go as I will probably have to work for a good few years to come.

Are there any courses I can take that are cheap or free?

Thank you

cantbelieveit23

If you were to work in a purely admin role in a school, it is unlikely you would be expected to have any specific formal qualifications.  Your background in retail should be evidence of your people skills (especially in a reception-type role) and a stated interest in the development of young people would be appreciated by most schools. Good standard of literacy (and numeracy if in a finance office job).  Decent basic IT skills with the ability to learn whatever specialist systems the school uses.
Secondary schools will have a wide range of non-teaching roles, filled by a variety of people of all ages.  As most of these workers are not looking to develop a career, age is not generally an important consideration.  Maturity would normally be seen as an advantage.
Teaching Assistant roles (in the classroom) require training at NVQ level: depending on the demand, schools might provide this training for suitable candidates.  Cover Supervisors are also sought at times: another classroom role that would probably not suit you.
Most non-teaching roles are advertised in local papers, as applicants are usually from the local area (whereas teaching jobs are advertised nationally).
Can't help with vets, I'm afraid.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead with your idea!
  

singhini

Here's a link to the Department for Education Skills for Careers Website (Click "Adults" then click "Training Choices"
https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/

Depending on your personal circumstances some courses might be free (i.e. low income or unemployed)

You could also pop down to your local college and speak to their student services department as they might be able to help point you in the right direction

Good luck

Marcon

Have a look at https://alison.com/ and https://www.reed.co.uk/courses/ for starters.

Wanting to work in a school or vet environment sounds like a classic 'loves children and animals' - but you need to be realistic: you'll be working mainly with adults (parents and fellow staff members) and owners rather than anything younger, fluffier or generally more enticing.

Do you live in an urban setting with plenty of schools and lots of good-sized vet practices? If not, perhaps consider other non-commercial settings you might find attractive, to broaden your options. Schools in particular rarely have trouble recruiting non-teaching staff, for the simple reason the work patterns are so appealing to parents with their own school-age offspring, so you may have to widen your horizons, especially if you have no admin experience.

Best of luck - go for it!