As is commonly the case in today’s world, many people are deciding to make shifts in their 40’s and 50’s, changing careers and charting new courses in their lives. These trends have increased as many types of work are becoming obsolete through automation and as people adjust to the post-Covid lockdown world.
Phil from Milton Keynes based Gastec Training said “Trades, particularly plumbing, have become a popular choice for those retraining for a new career. Why plumbing? Because the demand for plumbers has continued to increase and the UK continues to have a skilled trade shortage, making plumbing a great choice as a second career.”
Benefits of Becoming a Plumber at 53
Some may think that making career changes later in life will be difficult and while there are challenges that will present themselves, there are significant advantages to retraining for a new career when you are over 50. What are the advantages?
- Career Experience
There is value in the fact that as someone in their middle age, you have previous career experience. This experience provides a level of understanding, not about the job itself, but about the process of learning new skills, how you fit in the structure of an organization and how to interact and work with people in your departments.
- Learning Capacity
Part of the value of being in your middle age is that you know how to learn and apply yourself to new skills. This takes a level of modesty and willingness to learn, likely from someone who is younger than you, but if you can get past that part, learning new skills should be simple.
- Maturity
Maturity is the fruit that ripens as we age, giving us perspective and insights that help us see the bigger picture. This is useful in a new career because that level of maturity is valuable to organizations, giving you a potential avenue to rise in the ranking of your new organization.
What are the Incentives to Retrain as a Plumber After 50?
Obviously, incentives need to be present for you to retrain as a plumber in your 50’s. Making significant changes to your life needs to come with associated benefits and when retraining as a plumber, there are plenty of incentives and benefits to be found. What are they?
- Demand
Plumbers continue to be in high demand across the UK. As AI and automation continue to grow in their abilities and work their way into all aspects of our lives, trades will become even more valuable as a skill that cannot be easily replaced by a robot or machine.
- Flexibility
As a plumber, you can choose to be an employee, self-employed, grow a large company or do a combination of both, working for an employer and doing work on the side. It is also a great way to make extra money if needed.
- Variety
Plumbing is a multi-faceted trade and the options for new types of plumbing work as a new tradesmen are almost endless. If you choose to be a registered plumber and take additional training, you will have even more options available to you for work.
- Pay
Plumbers make great money! With the average plumber salary between £30,000 and £40,000 and with the ability to make up to £90 per hour, you can make a great living for yourself as a plumber, regardless of your age.