Changing careers is a huge driver for many mature students to return to education. Two careers experts have given us insight into why this is, and some of their best tips for people looking to retrain.
Updated: 03 Sept 2026
While there was a "Great Resignation" during 2021 (where loads of people were quitting their jobs), trends have changed as of late, with more people sticking around in their careers – which has been dubbed the "Great Stay". However, millions of millennials are going against this trend and choosing to return to education and retrain.
Faced with economic strain, high debt, and unfulfilled promises of traditional success, more people in their 30s and 40s are choosing to head back to uni and change their careers. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency 2024/25 (HESA), mature students accounted for ~62% of the student population in UK higher education, with UCAS admissions data showing that mature student applications tend to surge during times of economic struggle.
We spoke to Amanda Augustine, resident careers expert for Careerminds UK and Certified Professional Career Coach, who told us, "Retraining and reskilling used to be something you did in your 20s, if you did it at all. Today, it's becoming much more common among workers in their 30s and 40s. We continue to see many midlife career changers retrain in search of more fulfilling work. However, one of the biggest drivers right now is economic."
We also talked to Latasha Baynham, a career transition & leadership confidence coach and founder of Shine Your Light Coaching & Consultancy, about why education is the way people are choosing to go about a career change: "Formal education makes sense when a recognised qualification is legally required, widely expected by employers, provides essential supervised practice or gives access to a professional body. It can also be valuable when the quality of training matters for public trust, and formal education is valuable when the absence of a credential closes doors."
But what if you're considering a move like this? We made sure to ask these two experts what their best tips are for anyone thinking about making a career change.
Augustine shared the first step someone should take if they’re considering a major career change: "The first step is taking stock of what you've already built: your skills, your strengths, and the parts of your work you most enjoy. Then consider how those strengths transfer to the role you have in mind."
As for figuring out where you want to take your career, Augustine went on to say: “It also helps to speak to people already doing the job and ask them what a typical day really looks like, not just what they enjoy about it. From there, you can map the gap between the skills you already have and those the new role requires. In most cases, that gap is much smaller than people expect. There are also career-planning tools that can help you explore different options. Once you can clearly see where your skills fit, retraining feels far more achievable.”
Speaking of career planning tools, we have our very own Career Matcher on Whatuni. It can help you see what careers are available, where your skills could be an advantage, and how you can go about getting your future job.
NEXT: Use our Career Matcher
Baynham gave us some great insight into how she works with people who are considering a career change: "Before committing to a decision, I encourage people to run three tests.
#1 - The market test: Does this work actually exist, and are employers asking for this qualification?
#2 - The money test: Can you afford the course, any reduction in earnings and the time it may take to become established?
#3 - The life test: Does the day-to-day reality of the career fit the life you are trying to build?
Before deciding on a specific education or retraining route, people should also calculate the full cost of the transition (not just the course fee). That can include reduced earnings, travel, equipment, childcare, professional memberships, insurance and the time it may take to build experience after qualifying."
In need of more information on what degrees are vital for the career you're after? We've got plenty of career guides to help you figure out what you would like to do in life and how to make it happen.
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