Hi all
Just very quickly, 34 years old, 10(?) GCSEs all over C, 4 A-Levels (including General Studies), more of a mixed bag (BCDE
), Ba(Hons) FCCA ATT CTA. Not feeling it like I used to, want to do something more rewarding, thinking now might be the time for various reasons.
After considering various new fields I keep coming back to Paramedic. I naively thought I could get a lower level job, go to night school and work my way up, but after reading around the subject and the guide on the NHS site (
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/paramedic/entry-requirements-and-training-paramedic) I see not.
For the moment my ambitions are parked; as I see it I will need to get at least another A-Level (in a science, as the E was in physics and the other grades were maths and design/technology), which is not a real problem, then basically go to University again for a year full time, which would mean being out of work for a year, which is possible but would be a strain on finances (and my student loan is already never going to be paid off - actually given that fact, might as well increase it!). It would probably be do-able if I knew I would be employed straight out of Uni.
In the meantime, either as a means to itself or as something that will help should I manage to re-ignite my ambitions later, I am going to volunteer at St Johns, with a view to working up to ambulance services.
As I say, I've read a few guides (on here and on the NHS sites), but it is the same things over and over and I think with me having been away from that sort of education for a while (I've done a lot of exams since Uni, but all of them have been accountancy/tax) I'm not really getting what I should be doing in my position.
Have I got it all right? i.e.
Volunteer with SJA
Get (at least) another A-Level in science (social or natural), maybe 2 if my points are poor (I read one requirement say 1,000 points, I put my A-Levels into a calculator online and it was less than 100... I assume there is more than one scale!
)
Volunteer with SJA
Return to university and do another year.
Volunteer with SJA
Hopefully get a job and continue my studies.
Umm, any advice gratefully received. Worst case scenario, SJA get a volunteer and I have to stick this job out forever! Actually worst case would be I go back to Uni, get further in debt, my house is repossessed while I am not earning, my wife leaves me, I get my new qualification and find there are no jobs and I starve holding a sign saying 'will stabalise injured persons for transport for food'!