A testimony call for a new book

Too Old to Train,
Too Young to Stop

Work, Learning and AI After Sixty

Were you told 60 was too late to train? Mark Smartt is collecting real experiences for a chapter about the ways age, finance and access shape later-life learning and work.

Please submit your testimony by 4 September 2026.

Share your experience

About the book

A book about work, learning and AI after sixty.

Too Old to Train, Too Young to Stop examines what happens when people are expected to keep working and adapting, but routes into advanced education and professional retraining narrow at 60. It combines Mark Smartt’s seventeen-month effort to obtain a government explanation with the lived experience of others.

Book cover for Too Old to Train, Too Young to Stop by Mark Smartt. Three later-career professionals work together with a book and tablet in a modern learning space.

What you are signing up for

This is a call for testimony, not a mailing-list sign-up.

Your submission may help inform one chapter of the forthcoming book. You can share only what you are comfortable sharing, give no contact details, and ask to remain anonymous.

Submitting your story does not give permission to publish it. If Mark wants to use any part of your account, he will contact you separately and ask for signed consent. You can say no or withdraw before the book goes to print.

Your experience

What happened to you?

Select every statement that fits. This helps shape the evidence, but your story matters most.

Your voice

Tell your story in your own words.

You do not need to answer every prompt. Use what helps you tell what is true.

  1. What work or contribution were you trying to reach?
  2. What education or training did that route require?
  3. Where did age, finance or access create the barrier?
  4. What did the barrier cost in money, time, identity or opportunity?
  5. What realistic change would have made the route credible?
Contact details Optional

You may leave these blank and submit anonymously.

Named and anonymous accounts are considered equally. Your contact details only allow Mark to verify details or ask a follow-up question.

Privacy: Mark Smartt holds your submission only for this book. It will be kept until the book is published, then deleted. If you choose the discount or updates option, your email will be used only for that book-related purpose. You can ask to see, correct or delete your submission before publication by emailing mark@smarttmedia.com.

If writing is difficult, email mark@smarttmedia.com with the subject “Testimony” and ask to arrange a conversation.

A clear promise

Nothing is published without signed consent. You decide whether to be named or anonymous. Your account is used only for this book, and you can withdraw before print.