tigwig, my husband worked in IT support for several years (getting good qualifications as he did so) but when he moved down here 8 years ago, he had to go back to driving in order to pay the bills, there was no work at his level available within a reasonable travelling area. He's just started his MCSE qualifications again with a view to getting back in (having had enough of being on the road), but we are under no illusions that it's an easy ride. Don't be fooled by the IT training adverts in the paper saying "we will train you, jobs are easy to find", they are not, unless you are very lucky - for instance, (my employers) the NHS - which was always recruiting for IT support posts in the past - now has a freeze on employment across the county here, so that's one valuable market not recruiting. IT skills are however useful skills to have and would make your husband marketable if he went into an office job or some other type of admin support. We are even considering that when he has his fresh exams under his belt, he may have to work abroad - good IT jobs here!
https://www.jobsindub....asp?lstIndustryID=25
All I can suggest is that he explores the market, takes advice from a careers counsellor - who are these days more and more used to advising more mature people in the current jobs market - and takes it from there. I wish him luck - I've changed tack three times in my working life, and I was 50 before I found my current line of work, which I am really happy with.