I do not know about weekend training. I know my youngest son started a career in heating and air conditioning. Most of his classes were in the evening through the local community college. There is also plumbing and electrician. Both of those have journeyman\helper and are more OJT than formal training, which is why my son did HVAC. All three, from my understanding, are lacking in people entering those fields and an aging work force looking to retire. Those are all high skill jobs that should be resistant to recessions in my opinion.

Something a wise man told me MANY years ago:
Find something you can do for 16 hours a day and make that your career.

In other words:  If you aren't passionate about it, you'll probably never be happy with it and likely fail at it.

At 50+, you should know what you are good at or at least passionate about by now.  Find a way to turn that into $$$.

Good advice!  But, no one is going to pay me to watch reruns of "Cheers" for 16 hours a day.  :)

You can be a bookkeeper.

You can be a paralegal.

You can be a truck driver.

You can be a performer.

You can be a mover.

You can be a ditch digger.

You can be cashier at a grocery store.

You can be a plumber.

And there's probably about 25,000,000 other jobs you can do.

Yes, some of these require considerable training while others do not.  Everyone has to start somewhere... and if you have hopes of being a master plumber, it probably won't happen unless you want to work into your 70s.  But that doesn't mean you can't be a plumber nonetheless.

You can be whatever you want to be.  You get skills by learning.  You learn best when it's something you're interested in.  Some skills take a long time to develope.  Others no so much. Some skills are learned quickly by some while others take a long time to learn.

If you don't know what to do, don't ask us - complete strangers who don't know you - ask your friends and family.  They know you.  They can remind you of the things you like to do and are good at and then maybe help you find ways of exploiting those interests and existing skills into an employment situation.  

>>But, no one is going to pay me to watch reruns of "Cheers" for 16 hours a day.  :)

They will if you think about it!

Just off the top of my head:
House sitter for people on vacation.
Pet sitter, board animals for people on trips.

Might take a while before you actually see any money from it, if ever, but at least it'll probably make you happy:
Start a snack food podcast/blog where you review what junk food pairings that go best with what Cheers episodes?

Hi,
Make a list of what you know, what you like, hobbies and anything that easy for you.
From there try to find related job and what missing to be able to do this job.
Unfortunately we cannot anwswer for you you will need to make this analysis.

You called yourself Software Engineer  so there a lot of things you can do in this path.

But, no one is going to pay me to watch reruns of "Cheers" for 16 hours a day.  :) how about a standup comedian?

systems architect or data architect?

database administrator?

what about teaching at a junior college.?

basically, you have told us nothing about your skills & interests, so nothing we suggest can be very helpful.

you can enroll in online courses and proceed at your own pace.

EDIT

A few more:

Edible insect breeder

Ethical hacker

Algorithm and database governance specialist

Quantum computing specialist

As others have said, you don't give us much to go on besides you failed at IT and accounting. And you like Cheers.

Try taking a psychological profile test.  Find out what quadrants you lean towards, then list opportunities in those areas.  

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=profile+test&atb=v346-1&ia=web

How about report development like through Power BI or Crystal?  Can I do this when I'm 80 and make good money at it?

PowerBI and Crystal sounds like IT to me?

I've also found that to be really good at reporting programs you needs some level of programming skill.  Most that are useful aren't really drag and drop.

I don't spend a lot of time searching job sites and I wouldn't be searching for jobs I really don't want so cannot say there are people hiring report developers.

Go look on the popular job boards and see if those jobs exist and what the current salaries are.

Also depends on what you call 'good money'.   According to Google, Mississippi is the cheapest state to live in and Manhattan is the highest.  What you consider good depends on where you plan on living, right?

@slightwv: I didn't appreciate that last response.  That was completely unhelpful.  I'm certified in Power BI and have been told that I know Crystal very well.  so, there

How about report development like through Power BI or Crystal?  Can I do this when I'm 80 and make good money at it? 

Who knows?  20 years ago, Exchange Admin was a potentially lucrative career.  Everything is cloud now.  There are still a few gigs for it, but they are fading.  20 years is a LONG time in IT.  If you don't think you can adapt, then you should probably look into other work.  Again, ask friends and family what you're good at.

@Lee...Thank you, Lee, for a constructive response!  Much appreciated!

If you like doing reports, then search for those sorts of jobs.  Nice thing is, that work can be done remotely, so geography isn't an issue.   Will that sot of work last for the 10 to 20 years you have left to work, who knows?  

Even 5 years is a long time in any sort of technology.  It all changes and as it progresses it changes faster.   With these new AI systems emerging, all bets are off.  

If you find a position in a good company or in the government, you can build a decent pension in 20 years.  You might start in one area, but if you adapt well to the inevitable change, you should be safe.  The key is to provide value to your employer.  The easiest way to do that, is doing something you like to do.  Which gets us back to figuring out what your personality likes.  See my earlier comment.

I'm not going to sugar coat the chances of someone 50+ landing a job in a great corporation.  Age discrimination is unlawful, but believe me -- Its a huge issue.  

@slightwv: That's okay.  I apologize, for my reaction.

@Software Engineer: you mentioned in your original question:

Although I have tried IT and accounting, I was never successful at either.

all we have learned from all these exchanges is that you want to stay in IT.

again, i would like to respectfully ask: what else interests you (other than watching reruns of Cheers)?

 

If you have a little seed money, you could go into business for yourself.  Convenience store, Ice Creme parlor, Dry Cleaner, Barber shop, Auto repair / detailing, car wash,  Bar and grill, Washer/Dryer center, Fruit and vegetable stand, theater, bowling center, gym,  local guided tours etc..   Bad thing about consumer related business is the hours (nights/weekends) and usually tight margins.