Not exactly car related but I was at an tool and die apprenticeship open house today. Felt kind of weird being old enough to be the father of most of the people there, but I was wondering how many of you guys and gals out there re-started their careers in an apprenticeship type program at an older age?
I started as a 1st year apprentice in my local sheet metal union back in 2019. I was 32.my journeymen were my age or younger with years of experience. Best move I have done. Someone on the hamb advised someone else to join an apprenticeship and I got the idea from that.
Interesting, up here in the 51st state I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a Tool and Die apprenticeship, just the Machinist apprenticeship. Then with extra training and schooling one can get Tool and Diemaker certification.
I’m retired from paint/bodywork and fabrication and at the age of 40 I was looking for a new career. I had almost 20 years of business management and was looking into getting a degree in the same. It was something I enjoyed and was good at but my wife at the time was not supportive and after 3 months of hell I decided to go a different direction and switched from collision work to building hotrods/ race cars etc. But now at 66 I feel some regret not going back to school and getting a degree. I would recommend going after the new direction for yourself it’s going to be your career, the job you spent a large amount of your life not someone else. I will add that both of my parents went back to school in their 50s and worked for twenty years in their new careers. Good luck with your new direction, Tom
In the 11 years I’ve been teaching apprenticeship automotive mechanics, the oldest student I’ve had was 61 when he came to 1st year and 65 when he finished.
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