Career change after a layoff, where to begin? after 16 years as a welding apprentice

I want to move from welding apprentice to something with more stability. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. 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.