Career retraining on a tight budget
Posted on 5:03pm, 5th May 2010 • No Comments
Lots of us are looking into career retraining right now, either because we’re worried about our jobs or yearning to find something more challenging and exciting to do. So how do you get the most career retraining “bang for your bucks”?
First, make sure you know exactly what career retraining you need to get you wherever you want to be. Start looking at the online job ads for the posts you want and be guided by what they say before signing up for a course.
What qualifications, experience and skills do most employers ask for? If there’s a difference between what employers ask for and your “offer”, could you convince enough potential employers this difference is so slight you’ll be a good candidate for their jobs without any “top up” training?
Let’s assume your research shows you won’t be a competitive candidate until you’ve done the career retraining necessary to upgrade your qualifications. Leaving to one side the thorny issue whether your current employer might pay for this career retraining, is there anything you can do to keep the costs down?
There may be, if you can claim exemptions from part of the career retraining through accreditation of prior learning (APL) and / or accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL). List all the study, qualifications and experience you’ve already completed that’s relevant to the qualification you’re now after. Back up this information with documentary proof (eg exam certificates, course timetables etc). Contact the course tutors of all the courses you’re considering and ask them what exemptions they’d be prepared to offer you under the APL and APEL schemes. You have to take the initiative here – many course tutors won’t.
Also, don’t forget that work-based training and assessment can provide NVQ qualifications up to Masters degree level. Depending on your employer, it’s often less easy to organise this type of career retraining than a course; however, NVQs are usually employer-funded.
Consider your full range of options for different types of career retraining. Classroom-based courses are more expensive than their distance learning based equivalents (even before you factor in extra costs like travel). On the other hand, some people just don’t like studying on their own and prefer classroom-based career retraining programmes. Ring the national Careers Advice Service (0800 100 900) for information on suitable training courses near you and the distance learning options.
There are government backed Career Development loans to fund career retraining. Personally, I doubt the wisdom of taking on debt when the jobs market is so shaky. Similarly, I’d recommend you opt for part-time career retraining courses rather than full-time ones, given that employers look for up-to-date experience as well as up-to-date training and competitive qualifications.