Older and wiser or is age just a number? Observations of recruitment, attainment and career aspirations in mature trainee psychological wellbeing practitioners (PWPs)

Abstract

Widening participation in psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP) training by targeting mature candidates has the potential to bring greater diversity of life experience into the profession, as well as address retention challenges. This paper presents observations on recruitment interest, academic performance, and career aspirations among mature PWP trainees (aged 35 years and older), in comparison with those of traditional PWP trainees (aged under 35 years). Participants were recruited from pre-training events and training cohorts at the University of Surrey. The study utilised a cross-sectional survey to understand the age profiles of trainees recruited into training, an analysis of routinely held participation and academic attainment data, and a longitudinal survey to explore future career aspirations between mature and traditional trainees. The findings showed that mature candidates attended recruitment events in proportionally higher numbers, but this did not necessarily translate to securing places on training. Mature trainees achieved lower class awards and exhibited higher withdrawal and termination rates compared with traditional trainees. Mature trainees reported higher intentions to stay in a PWP-related role than their traditional counterparts; however, both groups expressed concerns about poor progression opportunities and the risks of burnout. The implications of these findings for clinical services and university providers, along with recommendations for future research, are discussed.

Key learning aims