Retraining not retiring with flexible working

Maybe you're thinking about coming out of retirement. Maybe you're aged 50 plus and want to stay in work but are ready for something new. Whatever your reasons for staying in work or returning to it, retraining might be the answer.

“I retired early and my pension went down. Getting the job… I could afford to do what I was meant to do when I was retiring. It has broadened my mind a lot, made me more sociable than I was before.”

Meet Fred

“My granddaughter’s the reason I came to work for McDonald’s! I’m fully flex. Because of my age I use a lot of my life experiences and I’m encouraged to do that. We get ongoing training all the time.”

Meet Mandy

What are the benefits?

When you’re aged 50+ you might still want to work but do it your way. You can explore the world of work on your own terms thanks to flexible working. Retraining into a new flexible working role instead of retiring means you can:

  • Have extra money to spend on personal interests
  • Spend time with your family
  • Enjoy work social life
  • Get recognition for life experience
  • Use skills you already have in new ways
  • Mentor younger workers and give back

Age-diverse employers value your experience

Employers like McDonald’s are age-diverse. That means they understand how important your skills and experience are. They can see how much you have to offer, and are keen to have you on their team.

Age-diverse employers like McDonald’s understand you have a life outside work and you want to enjoy it. That’s why they offer opportunities like roles which include flexible working, giving you time to earn as well as time to enjoy your personal interests and spend time with your family.

What is it like to work at age-diverse companies?

If you’re choosing to retrain instead of retiring, you want somewhere where you can fit in from the word go.

McDonald’s listens to its work community, and here’s what McDonald’s staff say:

Younger workers at McDonald’s often describe how they look up to older workers and see them as a figure of wisdom that they can come to for life and work advice.

Older workers at McDonald’s talk about how they feel valued and like an important member of a ‘work family’ – and they really enjoy the workplace social scene too.

Retraining and using skills you already have

You have lots of skills from your past work that you can transfer to new work situations.

If you’ve been a bus driver like Susie (now a Shift Manager at McDonald’s), you have great customer care skills and understand how important time-keeping is.

If you’ve been a support worker, youth leader or carer like Mandy, you can be great at communicating with the team (and sometimes being a shoulder to cry on). You can also handle the diversity of all the different activities you might do in your job, from customer care and cleaning to community days and participating in charity events.

Retraining is a chance to learn something new

Workers aged 50+ are given the opportunities to train up and add new skills, knowledge and qualifications to their CV.

Retraining could mean learning new skills – like being trained up by your employer to use new software or a new way of doing things. It doesn’t always mean formal training. It might just be picking up new skills on the way when you go back to work.

Many big employers now have returner or re-entry programmes, especially if you have been out of work for a year or more. They can help you refresh your skills and get work confident.

Optional opportunities like McDonald’s Apprenticeships could take you to a new level of work confidence – if that’s what you want. You don’t have to apply for an Apprenticeship to join McDonald’s. There’s no pressure, just a wide range of opportunities for you to explore.

Retraining options for people aged 50+

For more details, see this info from WorkingWise on retraining for a new career in your 50s and beyond.