Some companies have positive views about employing mature people. They feel that, on the whole, people with a wide experience of life score more highly in the workplace than younger people who, on paper at least, may seem better qualified. Don't let lack of formal qualifications put you off either. Many colleges and professional bodies have special arrangements for recognizing the potential of people who don't have the qualifications you would expect of those about to leave full-time education.
If you are considering starting afresh in a new career, make sure that you will enjoy a reasonable length of time in your new occupation before you reach the upper age limit. Forty years old, for example, is not the best time to begin training as a PE teacher. The best advice is to find out as much as you can about the nature of the work and the job opportunities before you commit yourself to retraining. While some companies actively encourage mature jobholders, others are tied to insurance companies who discourage the employment of people over a certain age. Job centres and recruitment agencies are usually aware of careers and companies where upper age limits apply.
Further information
Midlife Career Change: Desire or Necessity*! Sue Cartwright and Teresa Holmes (Kogan Page, 1996)
National Vocational Qualification
NVQs are qualifications which recognize and give you credit for work-place skills. They are awarded at different levels to reflect the degree of skill required in different types of job. NVQ level 2 is regarded as roughly the equivalent of four good GCSEs. NVQ level 3 carries the same weight as a couple of A levels. NVQ level 4 is generally considered to be as challenging as the first year of a degree course.
If you worked in an office you might be expected to operate a word processor and use a range of software packages. You might also be expected to use a photocopier, a paper trimmer, a telephone and a fax machine. There are a number of aspects to every job and a wide range of tasks which have to be performed. NVQs break down all the aspects of a type of job and call them 'units'. Each unit is composed of a number of 'elements' which describe the level and the range of skills that a 'competent' worker in that job would be expected to have. NVQs are not courses of study; they are simple statements about what people should be able to do in the workplace. You may find that you have already been working at a particular level. In an office, for example, if you regularly use a photocopier, a fax machine and a word processor, you are probably already well down the road to achieving an NVQ qualification. All you need to do is gather the evidence and convince your boss that it is a good idea to let you be assessed.
With NVQs there are no examinations to sit. You work towards gaining an NVQ certificate by proving your ability to carry out aspects of the job described in each unit. You can show that you are competent to carry out tasks at the required level by demonstrating your ability to an NVQ assessor. Through discussion with him and by collecting a portfolio of 'evidence', you gain NVQ credits for each unit of competence which you obtain and you can work at your own pace.
NVQs are attractive qualifications. They don't test your knowledge of theory or your ability to write long essays. They measure what you can do in the workplace and they give you credit for that. More information about NVQs can be obtained from colleges of further education, the careers service or your local Training and Enterprise Council. Alternatively, contact the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and ask what NVQs have been developed for your field of work.
Further information
The National Council for Vocational Qualifications, 222 Euston Road, London NW1 2BZ; 0171 509 5555
NVQs and How to Get Them, 2nd edition, Hazel Dakers (Kogan Page, 1998)
Modern Apprenticeships
If you are a 16 or 17 year-old school or college leaver, this government initiative may interest you. A Modern Apprenticeship offers a route to the high-level skills and qualifications which are needed to become one of the technicians or managers of the future. They offer the possibility of gaining high-level skills and knowledge that are recognized by industry and they also put you on the first steps of the ladder to a successful career. The training includes at least a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 3.
For more information about Modern Apprenticeships, contact your local Careers Service or your local Training Enterprise Council (TEC).
If you are in Scotland, contact: Scottish Enterprise, 120 Both well Street, Glasgow G2 7JP; tel: 0141 2482700; alternatively, contact your local enterprise company (LEC).
Northern Ireland Modem Apprenticeships are being developed as part of the Training and Employment Agency's Job Skills Program; contact the Agency's local offices for more information.
