A midlife career change doesn’t have to be scary. It’s never too late to learn, grow, and change. Following a new path can be exciting! If you’re ready to go back to school, Sprott Shaw College is ready to support you, starting from the enrollment process all the way to graduation and job searching.

Keep reading to learn more about how to plan for a career change and going back to school.

Benefits of Going Back to School as a Mature Student

How to Choose a New Career Path

How to Prepare for Going Back to School as a Mature Student

Graduate in Less Than a Year with Sprott Shaw College

Benefits of Going Back to School as a Mature Student

A midlife career change can be nerve-wracking—you may worry that it might be too late for you to go back to school and learn something new. However, with more life experience, you’re better equipped to try new things, handle challenges, and bring your knowledge and wisdom to a new field.

As we age, we hone our soft skills, which may include teamwork, time management, problem-solving, conflict resolution, organizational skills, and communication skills. Although the requirements for your new career path may differ, the soft skills you’ve obtained over the years will certainly come in handy in whatever career you pursue next.

Truth be told, going to college isn’t easy, no matter what age you are. But in your life, you’ve probably done difficult things and faced challenges many times over. Many adults going back to school do so for two main reasons—oftentimes it’s because they’ve been stuck in a job they don’t enjoy, or they’re a parent wanting to join or rejoin the workforce. If you’ve been in either (or both) of these situations, you’re already accustomed to growth, perseverance, and change. You’re more resilient than you may think!

Best of all, with more life experience comes a better understanding of who you are and what you want to do. Here’s the best career change advice: Trust your gut and follow your heart!

How to Choose a New Career Path

When choosing a new career path, it’s important to consider what brings you fulfilment and what you want to avoid. For example, a parent may want to use their experience with children in Early Childhood Education, or the opposite—maybe they want to pursue an office job where they don’t have to be around children all day! Everyone’s circumstances are different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, there are a few questions to consider that can help guide you in the right direction.

What are your skills?

Are you good with people? Are you good with kids? Are you good with your hands? Are you detail-oriented and organized?

What are you passionate about?

Are you passionate about helping others? Are you passionate about justice? Are you passionate about animals?

What do you want to avoid?

Do you dislike repetition? Do you dislike shift work? Do you dislike working closely with people?

After you’ve thought about who you are and what you want, you should be able to come up with a few potential career paths that align. To make sure you’re choosing the best path for you, there are a few things you should consider about the career path you’re interested in before you lock in your decision:

• Fulfillment – Would you enjoy the work this career entails?
• Work-life balance – What are the average hours in this field?
• Money – What is the average entry-level salary in this field?
• Program length– How long until you can join the workforce?
• Entering an in-demand field – Is this field hiring?

Some of the questions above may be more important to you than others. At the end of the day, you know yourself best and what will make you happy, so when you’re considering a new career path, make sure you ask yourself what’s important to you.

How to Prepare for Going Back to School as a Mature Student

Once you’ve decided what new path you want to pursue for your midlife career change, it’s time to start planning your next steps.

Education

First things first, you need to check what education is required for your chosen career path. It’s also worth noting program duration and start dates, so you can get a better idea of when you can begin school, graduate, and start your new career. If you’re looking to keep your time in school to a minimum, keep scrolling to the end of this blog post for a list of programs offered at Sprott Shaw College that take less than a year to complete.

Funding

Before you head back to school, it’s important to review your tuition and program costs, review your personal finances, and plan accordingly. If you’re curious about your financial options at Sprott Shaw College, our advisors are available to answer any questions you may have, and they can help you review your eligibility for scholarships and grants. Complete the Contact Us form below, and an advisor will get back to you soon!

Scheduling

Once you go back to school, your whole routine will change. In order to stay organized and keep stress to a minimum, it’s wise to make a schedule for yourself so you can ensure you’ve allotted enough time to attend to all your responsibilities. Plan your upcoming week ahead of time so you can feel confident that you’ll get everything done! Below are some tasks you should include on your schedule:

• Attending school
• Studying and homework
• Chores and errands
• Family responsibilities
• Socializing and relaxation

Graduate in Less Than a Year with Sprott Shaw College

If you’re looking for a change but not sure where to start, below are some of the programs offered at Sprott Shaw College for interesting and in-demand industries where you can earn your diploma or certificate in less than one year. Whether you want to work with children, vulnerable communities, or even animals—we provide the training you need to jumpstart your midlife career change.

Sprott Shaw College provides education for the following careers that take less than one year to complete:

Health Care Assistant

• Health Care Assistants, sometimes known as care aids, provide personal care assistance in community and facility settings, such as long-term care, assisted living environments, urgent care, and hospitals. They are focused on maintaining the health, safety, independence, comfort, and overall well-being of patients.
• 29-week Health Care Assistant program
• Over 22,000 job openings expected over the next 10 years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $52,000 according to WorkBC

Bookkeeping

• Bookkeepers manage the daily finances of businesses, which may involve preparing financial statements, creating budgets, recording accounting transactions, and much more.
• 33-week Bookkeeping program
• Over 11,700 job openings expected in the next 10 years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $56,000 according to WorkBC

Veterinary Assistant

• Veterinary Assistants work in veterinary hospitals and rescue centres, assisting in procedures, preparing and restraining animals, performing administrative duties, and providing grooming.
• 39-week Veterinary Assistant program
• Over 1,000 job openings over the next 10 years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $43,000 according to WorkBC

Education Assistant

• Education Assistants work in kindergarten to grade 12 classroom settings providing support to students with unique learning, emotional, and/or physical needs through curriculum implementation, behaviour management, and physical/medical assistance.
• 43-week Education Assistant program
• Over 7,800 job openings expected over the next ten years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $58,000 according to WorkBC

Social and Community Services

• Careers in the Social and Community Services field involve working with vulnerable communities through group and one-on-one programs and services.
• Some communities that you may work with in this field include individuals with substance use and/or mental health challenges, at-risk youth, teen moms, victims of abuse, Indigenous communities, and houseless individuals.
• 43-week Mental Health and Addictions Care Worker program
• 49-week Community Support Worker program
• Over 14,900 job openings expected over the next ten years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $52,000 according to WorkBC

Early Childhood Education (ECE)

• Early Childhood Educators work with children in early learning environments, leading age-appropriate activities that promote social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
• 45-week ECE Basic program
• Over 13,800 job openings expected in the next ten years, according to WorkBC
• Average annual salary of over $45,000 according to WorkBC

Nothing catching your eye? Check out our website to view a full list of our programs. We have plenty more to choose from!

Start Your Midlife Career Change with Sprott Shaw College

Ready to take the next step or looking for more career change advice? We’ve got you! Our Admissions Advisors are available to help answer your questions about our programs and admission requirements, and they can guide you through the enrollment process when you’re ready.