When you hear the word “tutor”, what kind of student do you picture? A child at a desk or a teenager poised at a laptop? It’s a fair assumption to make given that we’re a culture who predominantly do most of our learning in the first quarter of our lives. It stands to reason that tutors largely exist to help children, teens and young adults. But we know that learning doesn’t stop in our twenties …so neither should tuition!
The benefits of learning later in life have been well documented and even 25 years ago, the Department for Education and Employment recognised that this seemed to be anecdotally recognised but there was little data to back up this claim. The DfEE had the Institute for Employment Studies study a sample of people aged between 50 and 71 and their major finding was that a whopping 80% of the learners reported that learning had a positive impact in one or more of the following: their enjoyment of life, self-confidence, how they felt about themselves; satisfaction with other areas of life and their ability to cope.
In just 2024, the Adult Participation in Learning Survey undertaken by the National Learning and Work Institute, found that 52% - that's a larger proportion of adults than ever - are undertaking some form of learning. Learning can mean anything from reading up on a topic, to revisiting skills and talents you haven't had time for in years, or indeed, developing new ones!
The list of subjects and skills you may want to devote time to in retirement, or even a career break, is endless, and there are many ways to approach learning depending on what you would like to gain from it. The great news is that, whatever your choice, Titanium Tutors can help. In fact we have had tutors supporting mature learners with degree-level learning, employment based qualifications, learning musical instruments, and voice and acting.
Formal qualifications for Third Age learners
Eighty-five year old Lucille Terry from Gloucestershire is currently working towards her fourth degree and will be in her nineties when she graduates. After completing her first degree in 1962 in pharmacy, she switched careers and qualified as a teacher. Retirement has seen her gain degrees in humanities and psychology from The Open University. Her love of learning is an inspiration though she is a tough act to follow! If you have never studied at degree level or it's been a long time since you did, you may want some preparation beforehand and some support along the way. UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) identifies that around 40% of mature students are over 30 and recognise that studying later in life brings a whole new set of considerations in terms of your commitments, responsibilities and financial circumstances. The good news is that there is advice and assistance waiting for you both at UCAS and on the government website . Of course, you may want to start with an Access course which prepares you for learning your desired subject at a higher level.
Learning purely for enjoyment in retirement
If you simply want to revisit the piano key you haven’t laid a finger on since you were twelve, or finally have the time to indulge your passion in ancient civilization, if you never had the option to take psychology at school or you want to get up to date in the world of computer programming; tutors are for you too. There are lots of ways to enjoy and share learning in your community and one of the biggest movements in the UK is U3A (University of the Third Age). Whether you are part of the U3A or a similar initiative, you may be interested in getting the input of a tutor to help you prepare topics for a group you’re leading or, equally, if you have subject has piqued your interest and you would like to deep dive further with some guided study in your own time, we would love to help.
Career changes in later life
Whether you are changing careers and need new or up-to-date qualifications to do so, it can be daunting if support is limited or you are going it alone. Perhaps you are just considering a career change and would like to lay some groundwork by learning more of the skills involved before committing to a formal study programme at a college or university, we have a tutor for you.
For instance:
if it has been some time since your Geography degree and you want to refresh before embarking on teacher training.
You are considering a career in nursing but don't know if you could handle the science content of a course.
You have a great idea to start your own business and want to be over all aspects of the company but have no idea where to start with marketing or accounting.
At Titanium Tutors, we are ardent supporters of later life learning; there is no upper age limit for tutees and a vast range of subjects to choose from. So what are you waiting for? Set your educational goals and get in touch with us. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Blog Post Crafted by Jenny
Jenny is part of our Admin Team.
She studied Theatre Studies at Rose Bruford College and got a First Class BA Hons from University of Manchester, before going on to teach Drama in schools.
She loves chilli con carne and a cup of tea, but not together, and is quite confident she could beat you at scrabble.
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