Connexions tends to be for NEET's, the under 19's, you can call them though and enquire who runs the National Careers Service in your area. Best advice I'd give you is that if you see a job you fancy, if you think you could do it...apply. If you don't tick every box, if you don't have all the quals, if you don't have the experience, just apply. All those things are important granted but you'd be amazed how many jobs are given on the basis of a cracking covering letter. If you're the right person then employers will invest in you giving you what you need. For someone in your position, vocational training is the most beneficial and profitable type.
If you fancied doing a language, have you thought about sign language? I used to have a deaf person working for me, and when we needed an interpreter they were charging approx. £25 an hour with minimum bookings of 3-4 hours. They always seemed to be in demand based on the difficulty booking them, and I know for a fact that there are very few in Hull - I had to get them from all over West/North Yorkshire (and also had to pay travel costs). The DWP fund a lot of it through 'Access to work' so some big organisations are happy to pay. If you can learn this skill you would not only be earning a decent wage, but also helping the community. I imagine being an interpreter translating for some boring office role (like mine) would be fairly dull, but I do know they do get some fancy gigs as well. I tried to learn the basics, but like most languages if you are not using it regularly you don't really learn it. I never got past this, but I know a colleague got to level 3 which is 1 level below doing it professionally (I think).
You will be able to get into University as a mature student - no formal qualifications required. That is what one of my best mates did having left school at 16 and worked in a bank for about 8 years. You could easily do a degree through Open University, providing you are motivated enough to do the work alongside your day job. Degrees aren't overly difficult or taxing, whatever any would be student would have you believe. Have you thought about a trade? Joinery/Plumbing? Given how hard it seems to be to find a decent joiner, they all seem to be 'busy'.
This is something I will look at certainly. I'd heard of Open University but didn't know anything about it. I've been looking at it tonight and it's something I'll be looking into. My dad is a painter and decorator. I remember at school he was always telling me never to get a trade, get a job in an office, make money that way, as if it was something glamorous. "There's nothing in trades" he would say. He was wrong, I think. My mates who are in trades always do well. I could be wrong, but to get a trade now, I would have to take up an apprenticeship I believe, meaning next to no money for quite a period of time until I've picked up the skills. I think I've missed that boat. But, like I say, I could be wrong.
I know a few people who've done OU degrees and the work they had to do is far far more than at a Uni. Takes 6 years anarl. Honestly work out your finances and take the plunge into a full time degree, done in 3 years. You'll learn to cut back and live a cheaper lifestyle, cheaper beer at the Uni etc. Plus you can still work to earn extra, bar work etc. Bet you've secretly always wanted to be .......summat but now's the time to go for it.
Open University means you study from home, but you have affiliation to a bricks and mortar university. My mate did a degree and masters through the Open University. He was affiliated to Middlesex University - and had to attend a few sessions a year at the University itself. Does your workplace fund any further education or self development programmes? Probably not given what you have told us, but worth asking the question?
Party, regardless of what you end up doing, good on you for realizing you need the change. I know few people who have the balls to look and the mirror and realize they need something better. Sor many are content to stay where they are despite being unhappy. You've already made the hardest step in my opinion.
A degree is degree? If you do a business degree at University or via Open University the requirements will be the same. It maybe feels like they have done more as a degree is often done alongside a full time job. I did a full time degree alongside numerous part time jobs - working full time and doing an Open University degree would be a piece of piss IMHO.
When I was last made redundant the firm put £5k/person into a kitty for retraining etc. You weren't limited to £5k as some (like me) didn't use any of it. Anyway, one of the lads put a plan together, with a little help, & got retrained as a Central Heating Engineer. A complete carear change for a genetic toxicologist. He was mid 40s at the time & runs his own business now. Helped in the main with the van & tools he got chucked in as part of the retraining package. What I'm trying to say is don't let age put you off.
