Well, to generalize a little, I actually prefer older guys and have come to dislike the 18-32 year old crowd. There are a lot of benefits to older guys. My personal list is:
1. they don't argue with you as much (yes, Mr.22 year old, I wasn't really "asking you" to do x,y, or z, I was TELLING YOU, and I don't want to hear any backtalk other than "yes" out of your mouth about it..)
2. 42 year olds have enough time in the general workforce that there is a greater likelyhood they have learned how to show up on time at the start of the day, with their shoes tied, fly zipped, and with all their tools ready to work.
3. Absenteeism is less a problem. Older guys are married, have mortgages, kids, responsibilites... Less likely to disappear on you due to a hangover, car-ran-out-of-gas, or financial problems or stormy/unstable personal lives.
As I see it, an employer could pick you up just as you enter the best years you have to offer the workforce, because at 42 you have probably mastered the "soft job skills" (show up on time, don't stand around while you are on the clock, shut the personal cellphone off,.. etc. etc..) that it is so damn hard to teach 20 year olds due to their immaturity & general inexperience in life.
You see, I am ageist too, just opposite the normal current of our times..
If you do start an apprenticeship you will be starting out at the bottom, which can be a tough pill to swallow. I don't know what you have done in previous careers, but the bottom of the electrical trade really is "the bottom"- get ready to get dirty, work with people you may not like, doing things you probably never imaginied were part of an electricians work, and do it with a smile and a good attitude because you will be learning. You'll need to have the patience to let a lot time pass doing dull and seemingly repetative tasks before you have enough of a view of the "big picture" for things to finally click.
In my opinion, patience, soft skills and a good attitude would put you way ahead of the pack, and age isn't really as big a deal, provided you are physically stout enough to handle the more physical aspects of the work.
Good luck in your search
