Career change after a layoff, where to begin?

I want to move from mechanic to something with more stability. There are 8 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Has anyone made a similar move?

Try a small project in the new field before committing. It told me a lot about whether I would enjoy it.

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.