Website of the UK government

Become a coach or mentor

Older people's skills and experience are highly valued in communities. You can put your work experience to good use by becoming a mentor or coach. In return you can develop your own inter-personal skills, become more insightful and remain active and involved in your community.

• Become a coach or mentor

Learning outside the classroom

Finding the time to learn is not always easy, but there's a wide range of flexible learning opportunities to help you fit learning around your life. You can choose when and where you learn, and get help and support with your learning.

• Learning outside the classroom (education and learning section)

Learning through voluntary work

Volunteering can be a great way to use your skills and experience to help others, and at the same time learn something new, which may lead to a qualification. There are many volunteering opportunities so it's worth thinking about what you want to do and what you want to get out of it.

• Learning through voluntary work (education and learning section)

Career Development Loans

You may be able to get a Career Development Loan to help pay for vocational learning or education. While you're studying and for one month afterwards, the government will pay the interest then when your course finishes – you'll start repaying the loan.

• How do Career Development Loans work? (education and learning section)

Personal learning and careers advice

If you’re looking for personal learning and careers advice, you can get it in a way that suits you. You can meet an adviser and talk face-to-face, have a conversation over the phone or contact an adviser by email - whichever is most convenient.

• Find personal learning and careers advice (education and learning section)

More useful links

• Work schemes and programmes (disabled people section)