Career change after a layoff, where to begin?

I want to move from IT help-desk technician to something with more stability. There are 12 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I have a little time and a small budget for training. How did you start?

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It saved me later.

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 13 months.