I was thinking community college, as well.

Do you know someone doing that type of work now?

Someone with whom you might be able to arrange for some instruction, some tutoring, in the general ways in which that work is being done now, along with the more practical aspects of the situation?

Do you have connections with some agencies - community, sport, educational, church groups where you could put the word out that you would like such help?

If you look through your various connections in the web of life in which you move, you may be ableto find someone skilled in the area of your need who'd be happy to coach you.

For example, I had a couple of auto accidents recently, one of them for which I was charged (as it appeared that I had run a red light). A few months later I received a letter from the Ministry of Transportation inviting me, being over 70 and having had a chargeable accident, to take a vision, knowledge and driving test (if I wished to continue holding a driving licence).

Several people in the two churches that I attend knew of my situation.

I took the vision test (could pass for general licence, not the straight truck that I've held, but I have cataracts which are to be operated on when space available, so I can retread it if I can pass the vision test within a year).

Someone in one church said that one of the active members is a driving instructor, so they introduced me and my need to that gentleman, who said he'd be happy to drive me around the course and critique my driving.

I took the knowledge test, had three answers incorrect (possibly 4 allowed).

I expected to take the driving test after a period, as the usual waiting period in unpopular winter is about two weeks, so I'd make a trip with the driving instructor in the meantime.

But the drivers' test office gave me an opportunity to take the test on the following day (possibly related to a storm being forecast?) ... before my tutor and I had opportunity to make the critiquing run.

I failed the test on the next day.

So I have a reservation to try again in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime have the type of licence that newly minted licencees hold - must have 4-year licensed driver sitting beside me, no driving midnight - 5 a.m., no freeway driving.

Looks like the disease called "second childhood" is taking hold!

Not so easy, when you live in the country ... I have a friend a few miles away who went on an errand with me the other day, but I had to drive "naked" to his place.

However - the point here, with regard to your situation, is that I found someone skilled in the area of my need in a church with which I am related.

If you investigate through the various entities where you have a connection, you might find help for your need.

Good wishes for being able to achieve some of your goals as easily and simply (and cheaply) as possible.

ole joyful

On re-reading your OP, I am wondering about something (being a curious cuss).

You speak of keeping accounts with pencil and paper.

I thought that accountants kept their records in earlier years using pen and ink ...

... making it more difficult to make [boss-required?] "amendments" later.

Don't tell me that I've been wrong, all these years!

Seems to me that a major company that did some of that
"creative accounting" saw their share price drop from about $120.00 per share ...

... to about 69 cents ... over the period of a few years.

And I hope that, if you had some of those shares, you sold them earlier ... resulting, of course, in sticking someone(s) else with the loss?

Oh, right - they were working with computers.

Making it a whole lot easier to make amendments (if the earlier documents hadn't been filed with outside agencies).

Good wishes for being able to move forward with achieving the goals that you've been working on.

ole joyful