Are you looking for retraining courses for adults? Whether you’re changing careers, dealing with redundancy, or re-entering the workforce, it makes sense to retrain for a new career.
Adult retraining courses help you build the hands-on skills and industry knowledge to switch professions. As such, they are the perfect way to set yourself up for the career of your dreams. No matter what stage of life you are in.
We’ve rounded up 5 of the best retraining courses for adults to propel your career change forward. But first, let’s look at what a retraining course is and the benefits of undertaking one.
What’s a Retraining Course?
A retraining course is a training program (either online or in-person) that prepares a worker to embark on a new career. It allows workers who want a career change, or those who have been made redundant, to re-enter the workforce.
Retraining courses for adults equip workers with the key technical and soft skills required to break into a new career. For instance, many hospitality workers found themselves out of work during the pandemic. As a result, some decided to retrain for other in-demand professions such as IT professionals, healthcare workers, or online customer service representatives.
Why Retrain?
Job retraining teaches workers new skills in a completely new career path. In doing so, this opens up new job opportunities and a wider skillset. This is particularly important for those looking for a career change. While you may have the necessary transferable soft skills for a new role, you will probably need to develop some new technical ones. Essentially, it plugs any skills gaps you may have and increases your chances of getting hired in a new industry you have little practical experience in.
With our increasingly hectic lifestyles and work pressures, many employees burn out. As a result, the number of people looking for a career change in the UK is increasing. Retraining courses for adults offer older workers a chance to make a change and start fresh.
Considering the average person spends over 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, job satisfaction is important. Job retraining can lead to more engagement, a better sense of fulfilment, and generally happier life.
If you’re an employer looking to retain career changers, our comprehensive guide covers 6 effective retention strategies.
How To Retrain As An Adult
Choosing the best retraining courses can be tough. Firstly, you need to decide on a new career path. While some career changers may know exactly what role they want to switch to, for others choosing a new profession is challenging. This is particularly the case when settling into a new career later in life. With so much on the line, we suggest taking your time with this decision.
Secondly, you need to decide how to retrain. In our increasingly digital world, there are now plenty of ways to retrain. For instance, you could choose to take a series of short retraining courses or one longer course. Similarly, you have the option to retrain in person (at a high education institution) or by taking online retraining courses. You can even choose between adult internships, apprenticeships, or night courses.
Once you have defined the right career change job for you, we recommend doing your homework. By this, we mean thoroughly analysing job descriptions for the role you’re looking for and identifying any skills gaps. This will help you to choose the best retraining course for you. Plus, it will come in handy when creating a career change CV and cover letter down the line.
Finally, consulting dedicated job boards for career changers will give you insight into the current job market.
Want to know more? Check out our guide on how to retrain, it covers everything from retraining grants to choosing the best retraining courses.
5 Best Retraining Courses for Adults
Do you want to switch careers but don’t know how? Here are 5 retraining courses that will seriously boost your chances of landing a career change job.
1. Administration Course
What is it? An admin course builds the knowledge and experience necessary to oversee the day-to-day operations of a business.
Best if: You are organised, methodical, and have great time management skills. Previous experience in an office environment is a plus.
How to retrain: There is a wide range of admin courses that cover key competencies such as scheduling, filing, and office management. You may also need to complete a computer proficiency course in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Oracle.
Career routes: Office manager, personal assistant, administrator, receptionist, data entry clerk
2. Project Management Course
What is it? A project management course teaches you how to successfully organise and oversee projects. It covers project life cycles, project management tools and techniques, and structured planning. In addition, you will learn how to work with stakeholders and manage risks.
Best if: You are an organised people person who never misses a deadline. Management experience is a bonus.
How to retrain: The PMP® is a globally recognised qualification that sets you up for a career as a project manager. To develop your skills even further, you could consider retraining courses in Agile or Six Sigma to learn the foundations of project management.
Career routes: Project manager, Scrum master, product owner, operations manager
3. Healthcare Course
What is it? Healthcare courses cover a broad spectrum of healthcare-related subjects. For example, there are retraining courses in social care, nursing, occupational health, paramedics, healthcare management, and mental health.
Best if: You want to make a difference. Prior work experience in the healthcare industry is helpful, but not essential.
How to retrain: There are a number of career paths within the healthcare industry. Therefore, the retraining course you choose depends on the path you want to take. For example, you could do a nursing degree, a paramedics course, or retrain as a residential care worker. The duration of the course depends on the role you’re retraining for.
Career routes: Nurse, paramedic, healthcare assistant, healthcare manager, dental nurse, youth worker, occupational therapist
4. Teaching Course
What is it? A teaching course covers everything you need to know to lead a classroom. From planning lessons to dealing with in-class conflicts, it prepares you for a career in teaching.
Best if: You love working with kids and you have lots of energy.
How to retrain: To teach in a school as a qualified teacher, you will need a degree and to do a PGCE course. If that isn’t an option for you, there are other retraining courses available for other classroom roles. For example, a teaching assistant, English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, childminder, or nursery nurse. These courses tend to be shorter and more affordable than a PGCE, making them accessible to most career changers.
Career routes: Teacher, ESL teacher, SEN teacher, tutor, classroom assistant
5. Trades Course
What is it? A trades course prepares you for a career in a skilled trade such as plumbing, carpentry, bricklaying, construction, or scaffolding. These are vocational retraining courses that combine theoretical learning with hands-on practice. They train you to work in a specific trade.
Best if: You love working with your hands. It’s a big plus if you have experience in a similar trade.
How to retrain: There are many ways to retrain as a tradesperson. For instance, you could take a course at your local higher education institution or find an apprenticeship. Alternatively, you could apply for work as an unskilled labourer and learn on the job. From there, you can work your way up to site manager or even become self-employed and run your own business.
Final Thoughts
Retraining courses for adults help you develop the required skills to transition into a new career. As such, they greatly improve your chances of landing a career change job with little-to-no industry experience.
At Refreshing a Career, we believe life is too short to work in a job you don’t enjoy. That’s why our website is packed with valuable resources to empower and support career changers. You’ll find everything from career change guides to CV writing tips, all designed with you in mind.
For further advice, check out our resources on changing careers or browse our live job board for career change opportunities near you.
