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Age no Barrier to a New Career

Tony Sheridan, 55, Penzance, Cornwall - LLB

Relaxing into a leisurely retirement was certainly not an option entertained by Tony Sheridan, who left his high powered IT job at the age of 50 and is now one of the UK’s oldest trainee lawyers, securing a second career following study for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with The Open University (OU).

Gaining an interest in law through voluntary work for his local Citizens Advice Bureau, Tony decided to see how far he could go and tested the waters by signing up for study with the OU - fitting in study for four years alongside his active roles in volunteering. Tony said, “I knew I didn’t want to go back to college or a traditional university, so had it not been for distance learning with the OU I would not have studied at all.  I was able to take the work a chunk at a time, and to start with I just did this course for my own interest and to assist with my basic legal work at Citizens Advice.”

Tony faced additional pressures by relocating part way through the course from Surrey to Penzance in Cornwall, but the flexibility that the OU offered meant his studies weren’t affected. Impressed with the quality of the course and its resources, Tony has nothing but praise for his tutors and the resources available.

His family, although very supportive of his studies, were surprised at his dedication to this new path; Tony said; “My family think I’m barmy!  For someone who doesn’t have to work but could play golf all day, they were surprised that I chose to spend 20 hours a week on study.”

Gaining a first class degree was a real achievement and spurred Tony’s self-confidence in his new area of interest.  Now pursuing a legal career, Tony is taking his Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the College of Law and has secured a trainee lawyer job at a local firm.  As the College of Law partnered the OU to develop its Law Degree, much of the LPC course content and format is familiar to Tony and follows on naturally from his OU studies.

The firm Tony is joining, Cornish Venning Chellews solicitors, had no hesitation in taking him on as one of the oldest trainee solicitors in the UK.  Director Mostyn Evans said; “Anyone who can get a first class degree at distance learning with the OU is someone we should be interested in.”  Tony is working a full week Monday to Friday as well as studying 15 hours for his LPC, but isn’t daunted by the prospect, with his OU experience as great grounding.

Tony said; “It was my experience with the OU that gave me the confidence to persevere with my ambition to practise as a Lawyer, and a recognised qualification that has helped me get a training contract in this very competitive field.”

Tony encourages other older people to have the confidence to take a new path in life.  He said; “People of an older age stop themselves from doing things - they feel it’s ‘too late’ or they are ‘too old’.  I wasn’t sure where the OU course would lead me, but on gaining a good degree at 55 years old and now following a new path in life I would say ‘If I can do it, anyone can’.  The faster you get your OU qualification, the further you can go in your new field.”

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