Amy  – Changing Careers with Apprenticeships

For 20 years, Amy’s career was dogs.

As a dog groomer, she’d built a viable business – but then it suddenly stopped.

“The rent on our lease was expiring, and the building was being demolished – the cost-of-living crisis meant fewer clients could afford to get their dogs groomed, and our own bills were rising sharply,” said Amy.

“So, I thought ‘I need a career change’.

Now, thanks to Optimum Skills, she’s found one.

And aged 39, Amy’s proof that age isn’t a barrier when it comes to starting an apprenticeship.

In fact, she’s about to start her THIRD apprenticeship having, in her words, ‘rediscovered a love for learning’.

“Despite running my own business, I was turned down for an admin job simply because I’d not worked in an office, which was really disappointing, but there was a back-office job advertised in a factory,” recalled Amy, from Newton Aycliffe.

It was an apprenticeship role through Optimum Skills. While it meant a short-term pay cut, what appealed to Amy was the fact it would not only give her second career a launchpad – but also arm her with vital skills and knowledge.

“A lot of adults may retrain via a university course, but I didn’t want to be saddled with the debt that would bring – I was being paid to retrain which was fantastic,” she added.

And she’s not alone.

Despite being more associated with younger workers and school leavers, increasingly, more experienced adults are seeking apprenticeships to develop their skills.

Data published in 2023 found that 48 per cent of all UK adults studying on an apprenticeship were over 25.

“Thankfully I have an incredibly supportive partner, who could see the long-term benefit an apprenticeship could bring and helped me in that initial period,” added Amy.

“And there are so many more benefits; For me, just having my weekends back was incredible, and the support and training that I’ve had from Optimum Skills really is second to none – they’ve really helped me develop my skills base and I’ve rediscovered my love for learning.”

So having initially enrolled in a business admin apprenticeship, Amy then applied for a role with Optimum Skills and embarked on a content creator apprenticeship – both boosting her knowledge base for her current job as a marketing officer at Optimum Skills.

And she’s enjoyed it so much, she’s signed up for her third apprenticeship – business analyst level four.

That qualification will develop her skills even further, with a sharp focus on strategy, streamlining processes and ways to potentially save a business money.

“I was a dog groomer for 20 years, and had my own business for 13 – changing careers as you near 40 can feel nerve-wracking but it is never too late to upskill yourself,” she added.