Adult Learners Week held on 15-21 May seeks to inspire people to see what learning could do for them, offering them the chance to catch up on skills they’ve missed out on in the past, or develop themselves for the future. It also wishes to recognise the achievements of many people out there who have returned to learning.

Mark Wong, 35, from Cambridge is one of many adult learners who decided to take the plunge and update his skills with the AAT. After having a career as an actor, Mark realised that he needed a profession with more stability to provide for his family. He explains: "I left university without completing my degree having decided to follow my dream and become an actor.  At the time, I felt I could never work in an office and the idea of doing a 9 to 5 job just didn’t appeal.  I thought it would lack variety and I wouldn’t be able to handle the routine.  I had various roles as an actor from Casualty and Grange Hill, to a small part in Tomb Raider 2. I loved the work but it was intermittent at best with no benefits."

"After having a family my priorities completely changed.  I realised I now wanted to be able to work consistent hours and needed a reliable income to provide for my family.  I decided I needed a profession that would be able to give me a secure future, but I couldn’t afford to go back to college full time and complete my degree."

Mark found out about the AAT after researching routes into accountancy and was delighted to find a route to the profession with his existing qualifications.  He managed to get a training contract with KPMG and is now fully qualified.

Speaking of his achievement he says: "It’s probably more commonplace for someone to give up an office job to pursue a career as an actor rather than the other way round. But despite feeling for years that a 9 to 5 office job would not be rewarding, I’ve found the opposite is true, and studying for the AAT qualification really helped me make the transition to a professional career."

"I think people often feel that age is a barrier to learning but I hope I can show that it’s never too late to start a new career."