‘If I can do this… anyone can!’
After realising she would have to delay retirement because of age changes to the State Pension, Ann White decided to retrain for a challenging new role
For most of her working life, Ann White looked forward to retiring as soon as she turned 60 (on April 19 this year) and could collect her state pension. But all that changed when the Government moved the goal posts on retirement ages meaning that like thousands of other women, Ann wouldn’t be able to claim her state pension until age 66. But though her 60th birthday is now just around the corner she’s not disappointed that she can’t call it a day with work and retire. Far from it, for after 27 years working in a pottery factory, where she had the job of “putting pins in little holes” five days a week, Ann now works for the same company in a management role after making herself go back to the classroom and retrain. Even though she knows it will be six more years before she can comfortably join her husband Kerron (64) in retirement, she’s never looked back – despite her initial fears. “I absolutely love my job now and although I’m not sure I’ll work ‘til I drop, I’m in no hurry to retire,” says Ann, who is in charge of the factory’s cleaning team at Steelite International UK in her hometown of Stoke-on-Trent. “It is completely different going to a job you enjoy every day and it’s given me a whole new lease of life as well as boosting my confidence and morale. If anybody had told me I’d be standing up and giving a presentation to 300 people a few years ago, I’d never have believed them.” Yet when her employers first approached her five years ago about taking up new learning opportunities as part of a management culture change, she almost talked herself out of it. “I was going through the menopause at the time and
‘It is completely different going to a job you enjoy every day. It has given me a whole new lease of life’
my first thought was ‘I can’t do this. I am a little bit too old now and set in my ways,’” admits Ann, who left school with eight O-Levels and went to work in an office after deciding against going to college. After marrying at 16 and starting a family at 18, she left work to become a full-time mum to Jenny (now 41) and two years later to Neil, who tragically died in a road accident in 1991. “It was what I wanted to do and I am very glad I did. Family and home are very important to me,” she adds. As the family was feeling the financial pinch, she returned to work full-time at 28 when the children were older, relying on her own mum to help out with childcare. There she stayed, doing the same production line job at tableware manufacturers, Steelite. “I don’t mean this to be any slight on people doing the job, but it was very tedious and boring. I had a lot of good friends and colleagues there though and just got on with it the best I could. “I’m not the moaning type and considered myself lucky to have a job. It solved a lot of problems.” Nevertheless, she realises now she’d become complacent. “I got to a stage of thinking that was my lot and just got on with it,” she says. Her working life changed when she was approached by her manager to become a union learner representative, which involved questioning colleagues to see if they were interested in taking up new training initiatives. “There are 800 people onsite and some people were interested and some weren’t. After hearing people say ‘I am too old’, I began to realise I was asking people to do something I wouldn’t do myself.” Asking herself if she should be practising what she was preaching, she discussed her future with her family and her bosses who convinced her she was capable. Biting the bullet, she began studying at work and a local college in her own and the company’s time. After gaining NVQ Level 2 in English, Maths and ICT, she undertook professional training with the support of a mentor. “I found learning far more enjoyable second time round,” she says. “When you’re at school you do what’s expected, but when you’re older you do it because you want to.” After being appointed Team Leader and Standards Assessor, Ann’s responsibilities have shot up but the gran of two has no regrets. “There’s a lot of paperwork, but I am out and about a lot as well. No two days are alike and I get so much out of it. It is absolutely amazing.” Part of her new role has involved promoting how successful retraining older workers can be in industry. “I am very lucky. I’ve had fantastic support and I’ve now got the best job. I’d tell anyone in my position to give it a go. “I know lots of people don’t like change at this age and I was like that at first. But despite thinking I couldn’t do it initially, I’ve never thought that since.” If she ever does, she only has to look at the faces of her proud grandchildren or the framed certificates and awards in her living room to remind herself what she’s achieved.
Have you retrained for a second career later in life? Write to the address on p3 and let us know.