‘I didn’t want to retire – so I retrained as a coder at 50’

Mid-lifers turn to the tech sector to reset their careers

It was only a couple of generations back that it was the norm for people to retire in their 50s. Today, many are not only accepting that they will have to work longer than their parents and grandparents, but are also reconsidering how they’ll spend those working hours.
Shortages within the technology sector have been well-documented over recent years. More than 2.1 million people work in the UK technology sector alone – up by 3pc from 2023, according to trade body CompTIA. Many people are considering entering the sector to capitalise on demand, increase their earnings and stimulate their minds.
John McKeown, 62, was a history teacher for the latter part of his career. Back in 2012, he decided to pivot into a new profession. “It was tough working in humanities,” he explains. “There was very little job security and more PhDs than lecturer positions. It became obvious to me that technology is the burgeoning industry of our age.”
He started taking some LinkedIn courses in advanced computing in the evenings, while teaching distance learners at the University of Gloucester. “I had done a bit of computer programming when I was younger but it had all changed,” he says. “All the languages were different, so I had to retrain from scratch.”
He moved back to Cornwall to take care of his parents the following year, and enrolled at software company Tech Cornwall’s Codecademy course. “This helped me get a job in IT support in 2014,” he says. “Over the years, I kept training, and moved into scripting. It was a struggle at times and I had to invest a lot of hours into it, but I have always enjoyed learning new things.”
Scripting is similar to coding but “less heavy duty,” explains McKeown. “It’s more around the automation of manual tasks.” Over the past 10 years, he has taken courses from IT training providers Dataquest and Pluralsight and completed a year-long CompTIA computing course.
He landed his first major scripting role in 2016, creating a database of grass seeds for the University of Exeter. Recently, he secured a part-time role at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library, managing its digital resources databases.
“I could retire but I want to be useful,” he says. “I feel like I could easily carry on learning and working for another 10 years.” 
McKeown’s profession has also become his hobby. In his spare time, he listens to programming podcasts such as A Question of Code and creates digital games. “That’s great fun,” he says. “My favourite is one where you have to herd a farmer’s sheep into different pens.”
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Sam Cue, 53, has spent the past 40 years as a hairdresser in Windsor, working both out of a salon and visiting people’s homes. Last year, she decided it was time to fulfil a lifelong passion and invest time and money on an IT accreditation.
“Hairdressing is a young person’s game,” she explains. “You’re on your feet all day. Your back aches. I’ve started getting arthritis in my fingers.”
Over the years, Cue had found herself solving more and more IT issues for her clients. “I’ve always been a problem-solver,” she says. “I’d go round to cut someone’s hair and they’d say their internet wasn’t working, so I’d fix that too.”
She attended Karren Brady’s Women in Business & Tech Expo in 2022 and met employers from some of the world’s biggest IT brands, including Cisco and Adobe. “It was fantastic to speak to all these different people about the roles that are available now.”
Cue now wants to secure a job in IT support or frontline technology maintenance. “You can’t get these roles without an understanding of cloud applications,” she says. “Because I’m a bit older than most applicants, they won’t train me from scratch. My age has been a barrier to getting into the industry.”
According to Corndel’s latest workplace training report, more than half of workers aged over-55 have not received any skills training on how to use digital tools and technologies, such as AI tool ChatGPT, from their employer in the past 12 months – more than twice the number of 18- to 25-year-olds denied training.
To ensure she has the basic skills for an entry-level role in technology, Cue is currently taking a CompTIA course with an online provider.
“You get some guidance but it’s not like being at university,” she says of the course. “It costs a lot of money but they guarantee you a job if you pass or your money back.” She recommends watching Professor Messer’s videos on YouTube before enrolling on the course. “He publishes a lot of useful content for free.”
CompTIA certifications cover various areas within IT, including networking, security, cloud computing and data management. These certifications are often required by technology employers and have become a way to showcase IT proficiency. “This course is my way in,” Cue says. “It will show I have the skills and initiative.”
At the moment to make ends meet, Cue has three jobs: she works part-time in a salon in Windsor, she has a job in hospitality at a restaurant and “every one week in six, I crush out a week of hairdressing,” she says. “With the studying too, I’m nearly ripping my hair out.”
Cue believes that the talent shortages in technology, and the current drive to hire women – especially older women – will help her get a foothold in the industry. In 2023, just 22pc of IT specialists in the UK were over 50, according to research by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. The report called for an additional 141,000 IT specialists in that age range to help the IT industry reach the workplace norm.
First, Cue needs to pass her exams. “I only have paid access to the site till March next year, so I really hope I pass,” she says. “I’d gladly give up hairdressing completely if I got a job in IT. I can see myself working on the road as a build technician, fixing printers perhaps. I know it will take time to rise through the ranks. I’ll be on £21,000 when I start but once I reach the third tier, I’ll have a decent salary.”
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“So many people my age seem to be unwilling to accept that technology is a fundamental part of the world we live in today,” Cue adds. “They are afraid of technology and don’t want to accept it. But I have always been very driven and run my own businesses. I’m a very organised person. That’s why technology appeals to me.”
As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, we are witnessing a significant trend of individuals retraining in technology later in life, explains Niki Davies, chief executive of Tech Cornwall.
“Data indicates that by 2030, 20pc of the UK workforce will be significantly under-skilled for their jobs, equating to approximately 6.5 million people.
“With 27pc of UK workers reporting insufficient digital skills for their roles and 58pc stating that a lack of digital skills has negatively impacted their workplace experience, the need for upskilling is more critical than ever.”