Overview
If you are looking for a job or career change, getting back into learning can be a great way to prepare.
Whether you’re thinking of getting a new job, contemplating a complete career change or keen to progress in your career, the most important thing is to find a programme of learning that meets your current learning needs that will also help you achieve your ambitions.
There are opportunities to retrain and study flexibly and having few or no qualifications is not a barrier. Some courses are free depending on your circumstances and concentrated in industries where employers are struggling to recruit enough people with the right skills.
Think about the skills, knowledge or expertise you want to acquire and check that any course you want to do will be valued in a future job or new career pathway.
Lifepilot has lots of information to help you decide on the best study option for you. You can also get advice from the National Careers Service.
A good starting point is to complete the Higher Skills Map Tool. This will help you recognise the experiences, skills, qualities and achievements you already have, and map them to the skills needed in employment and higher-level learning.
Although learning is normally a good investment in your future, you need to make sure that you can afford it and that it will help you achieve your career plans. You can find out about fees and financial support for level 3 college courses and higher education courses in the Money matters section of Lifepilot.