Over-50s dream of career change

Many people over 50 are seriously contemplating a career change to fulfil a lifetime ambition, according to new research.

In a survey carried out by the careers advice service Learndirect, 46% of the over-50s said they are not too old to start again in the job world. More than a quarter admitted that they want more job satisfaction in their next career move, while 61% want to learn new skills.

Doing something "worthwhile" was a strong motivation for changing jobs.

Construction, education and the creative arts were the most sought-after job areas among those questioned, followed by sport, leisure and the media.

"More and more people are realising their ambitions at a later stage in life," said Paula Hardwick, partnerships manager at Learndirect. "Our job is to help callers explore the value of the skills and experience they already have. And where there are gaps, we can help find a course that is right for them and their long-term goals."

TV presenter Anneka Rice, who reaches 50 in October, backed up the research. "We all have childhood dreams, and despite growing older, it's never too late to pursue something you've always wanted to do," she said. After studying painting for five years, Ms Rice now receives commissions to create pieces of artwork.

In 2006, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations outlawed discrimination on the grounds of person's age, whether young or old. Since then the Employment Tribunals Service has dealt with more than 2,000 cases of alleged ageism.