Career change after a layoff, where to begin? - any advice?

After 16 years as an IT help-desk technician I am thinking about moving into a different field. I have a little time and a small budget for training. How did you start?

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.