Every week we speak to people who say some version of:

“I’ve been in industry for 15–20 years. I’m tired of shifts/site/travel and fancy becoming a Trainer or Assessor. Where do I start – and will I have to take a massive pay cut?”

Short answer: no, you don’t have to start from zero, but you do need a plan.

Here’s how to move from industry into training and apprenticeships without losing your sanity (or your mortgage).

Step 1: Decide which role actually fits you

“Training” covers more than just standing at the front of a classroom with a PowerPoint that refuses to behave.

The main routes:

• Trainer / Tutor – delivers planned teaching sessions, workshops, bootcamps or classroom-style learning.

• Assessor / Skills Coach – works 1:1 or in small groups, coaching learners in the workplace and signing off evidence.

• Functional Skills Tutor – English/Maths/ICT (needs a specific skills profile and usually strong teaching focus).

• Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) – usually a second step once you’ve been assessing.

Ask yourself:

• Do you enjoy coaching individuals, or do you love “showtime” with a group?

• Are you more comfortable on site/in the workplace or in a centre/online?

• Do you want to stay hands-on with the technical side, or shift towards coaching and compliance?

If you’re not sure, that’s the sort of thing we talk through with candidates every day.

Step 2: Work out what you already have (and what you need)

You probably already bring:

• Years of real-world experience in your trade/sector

• An understanding of standards, safety, processes

• War stories that learners remember better than any slide deck

You may need:

• A teaching qualification (e.g. Level 3 AET or above) – some providers will support you through this

• An assessor qualification (TAQA/CAVA/A1) if you’re going into assessing

• Up-to-date CPD to show your industry knowledge is current

Good providers know that industry expertise is gold and can be trained into teaching. The trick is to package what you already do in “education language”.

Step 3: Don’t undersell your experience on your CV

Typical industry CV:

“1999–2025: Did loads. Managed teams. Hit targets. Fixed things. Everyone liked me.”

What training providers want to see:

• Evidence of coaching or mentoring apprentices/juniors on site

• Any informal training: toolbox talks, inductions, briefings, CPD sessions

• Experience with standards, compliance, health & safety, audits

• Times you’ve communicated complex stuff in simple ways

If you’re stuck, we often help candidates reshape CVs to “translate” industry work into skills that scream Trainer/Assessor.

Step 4: Be realistic (but not defeatist) on salary

Will you earn exactly what you did on your best year in overtime-heavy industry? Maybe not.

Will you be expected to work 70 hours a week in all weathers? Also no.

Think about:

• Base salary vs lifestyle – fewer nights away, more predictable hours, hybrid options

• Progression – once you’ve got experience, roles like Lead Trainer, IQA, Quality, Curriculum and Management open up

• Long-term sustainability – do you want to be up a ladder or on a site in winter at 62?

We regularly place ex-industry candidates into Trainer/Assessor roles where the salary is sensible and the lifestyle is dramatically better.

Step 5: Choose your first employer carefully

Your first experience in training can make or break your view of the whole sector.

Good signs:

• Structured induction – shadowing, co-delivery, proper onboarding

• Support to gain teaching/assessor quals

• Realistic caseloads and KPIs

• A manager who talks about learning and quality, not just “bums on seats”

Red flags:

• “You’ll be fine, just jump straight in front of a class on Monday.”

• No mentoring, no observation model, no CPD

• Vague job spec but very specific targets

If you don’t know what “good” looks like, that’s where a specialist recruiter makes life easier – we already know which providers support career-changers well.

Step 6: Talk to someone who lives in both worlds

At National Skills Agency, we:

• Talk to training providers, colleges, EPAOs and awarding bodies all day

• See which ones genuinely support ex-industry trainers and assessors

• Know where your sector background (engineering, construction, digital, health, etc.) is in the highest demand

We can:

• Help you position your CV for training roles

• Talk you through realistic salary expectations

• Introduce you to providers who value your experience – not just your certificates

If you’re sat at work thinking “there has to be a better way to use my skills than this”, there probably is.

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