University, apprenticeship or other?

Hello everyone,

Bit of background information first is probably best. So, I currently live in Wisconsin and my fiancee/girlfriend lives in london. We have known each other for close to two years and I visited her for a month last summer.  She is currently in the final months of her training year and has one exam left in september before she is fully qualified and makes above the financial requirement. Our best guess at when I would be able to move is probably next summer or so if all goes well.

Onto what my question is concering. I am a bit worried about work after the move. I am not quite sure what I will be able to do or would be qualified to do and which would be the best course. My parents took me out of school shortly after I started high school to home school me for religious reasons. I eventually went and got my G.E.D. and that is pretty much all I have education wise. I have been working since but it isn't exactly anything impressive. I have a two years doing wood flooring, three years working in a retail job and five years as a custodian, which is my current job.

Our thoughts are to get a job as soon as I can after the move doing whatever I can get and getting settled into the new life and then trying to figure out where to go from there. So my question is what would you consider to be the best course of action for future employment?

Thanks for reading and any advice.

What do you want to be when you grow up?      Always best to start there and work backwards. 

I think if I did go the university route I would be most interested in doing something along the lines of a psychiatrist, therapist, kind of job. The reason we are hesitant to go the university option is the cost and my potential lack of qualifications to get accepted.

Apprenticeship is a bit of a compromise in my opinion. I may not get my ideal job but it will be a decent one and won't cost any money to get.

I think if I did go the university route I would be most interested in doing something along the lines of a psychiatrist, therapist, kind of job. The reason we are hesitant to go the university option is the cost and my potential lack of qualifications to get accepted.

Counselling requires a minimum of a British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) recognised diploma (not the ones labelled PG or postgraduate), equivalent to the first two years of a three years honour degree, with pre-degree courses. So the cost would be cheaper, but the lifetime income would be lower. Also keep in mind that you need to research inter-country transferability, should you ever wish to return to the USA. You could likely do a psychology degree in the US and then a UK BACP recognised Masters as a halfway option, to address this.
www.bacp.co.uk/
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/counsellor_job_description.htm

Courses in Greater London:
http://www.bacp.co.uk/accreditation/Accredited%20Course%20Directory/index.php?countyId=12
The universities only offer Bachelors and Masters, and I'd be most inclined to stick with universities, although the Tavistock Centre is well-known (only Masters level).

University of East London offers the only Bachelor level BACP recognised course, as far as I can see, in London, at £10,700 per year for three years at international student fees - cheaper than most, for international student fees. Not sure how that compares with the equivalent education in the USA.
http://www.uel.ac.uk/Undergraduate/Courses/BSc-Hons-Counselling 

A wildcard option may be to study psychology, from undergraduate degree to PhD for free in Germany and in English - though to survive there, I'd recommend studying German before departure. It's a long road for only the most adventurous. You could do a free undergraduate degree in psychology in Germany and a UK BACP recognised Masters. This would be the cheapest option, I think, but would not address inter-country transferrability between the UK and USA.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32821678
https://www.daad.de/deutschland/en/
Again, you'd have to work towards meeting the entrance requirements from the US before applying.

Psychiatry requires a medical degree and then specialisation. Due to the funding structure, I suspect competition is fierce and international students may not be allowed (at least in very large numbers).
See under 'psychiatry':
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/hospital_doctor_job_description.htm

Hope that helps. 

Counselling requires a minimum of a British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) recognised diploma

Is this regulated now?

Apprenticeship is a bit of a compromise in my opinion. I may not get my ideal job but it will be a decent one and won't cost any money to get.

You may need to check if the apprenticeships are open to non-UK or EEA citizens.  I know I looked into some apprenticeships as a way of changing careers, but most of them were only open to UK and EEA citizens.  I am sure there are probably apprenticeships out there that don't have this requirement, but just something to keep in mind while you are looking.

Is this regulated now?

Here's an article discussing BACP and the HCPC and regulation from 2009 (don't know what the latest position is):
http://www.bacp.co.uk/regulation/index.php?newsId=1603&count=32&start=12&filter=%3Ch2%3ENotes+from+the+Council+for+Healthcare+Regulatory+Excellence+%28CHRE%29+meeting+-+26th+January+2012&cat=&year=

In my experience, counselling posts require a BACP recognised qualification, so it seems to be the industry standard for practice.

So mental health care professionals self-regulate and sell the qualifications? Oh boy...

Thanks for that! I will read up on it now!

So mental health care professionals self-regulate and sell the qualifications? Oh boy...

Counsellors are only one mental health profession. BACP does not sell qualifications, but accredits them. Counselling courses accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)  are the most widely recognised in the profession. 

Many other mental health professionals are regulated: social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists, arts therapists.