Valuing Australia's Older Workers

1. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Professional Development Workshop for RTOs

2. RTO Workshop - Content • Valuing Australia's Older Workers – an overview • Some facts • Emerging needs • Opportunities for RTOs • Professional Development Kit for RTOs • Other resources/support • Questions • Close

3. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Some Facts • Australian Baby Boomers are retiring • Numbers of young people joining the workforce are declining • Australia’s fertility rate is below replacement levels

4. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Fertility Rates within Australia 1921 to 2051:Source: ABS Cat No3301.0

5. Valuing Australia's Older Workers ABS Population Projections

6. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Australia’s Working Population • Labour growth rates have risen to around 180,000 per annum • Predicted downturn to an average of 19,000 per annum by 2020 • The decline in supply has already commenced • Will accelerate sharply over the next 10 years

7. Valuing Australia's Older Workers

8. Valuing Australia's Older Workers The Impact • By 2010 serious labour shortages could exist • Some have already appeared in varied industries • TAS, SA, NSW and VIC will be first to feel impact • WA and QLD will be affected slightly later • Marginally employed currently filling the gaps

9. Valuing Australia's Older Workers This decline in growth will result in – • Reduced labour supply • Reduced skills availability • Potential negative impact on ability to produce goods or services in Australia

10. Valuing Australia's Older Workers • Numbers of young people are declining • Numbers of older people are increasing - relative to the population • Many employers are already facing skills shortages • These shortages are predicted to get worse • Employers may face serious labour shortages - especially in small/medium business

11. Valuing Australia's Older Workers The Challenges • Attracting new employees • Retaining current workers • Maintaining a skilled and knowledgeable workforce • Addressing perceptions and attitudes • Promoting an ageless workforce • Encouraging a life-course perspective on work and learning • Older workers will play an important part in meeting the future needs of the workforce

12. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Older Workers are – • Already skilled and experienced • Bring a training investment with them • Possess attitudes of loyalty, persistence, quality • Have a knowledge of products, customers, systems • Represent many of the future customers

13. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Emerging Needs • Work arrangements • Age diversity • Skills, knowledge and qualifications - recognition - life transitions - funded training - career transition - cross-age communication - retraining - technological changes

14. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Implications for RTOs • Work closely with employers and industry • Promote a life-time perspective • Accommodate individuals – - external factors and influences - attitudinal and cultural issues • Integrate business-specific with lifelong learning and personal development • Design and develop user friendly and accessible resources • Focus on recognition of prior skills and knowledge

15. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Employers will expect RTOs to analyse – • Roles, responsibilities and staffing requirements • Job design and task breakdowns • Career pathways and qualification mapping processes • The linking of current training materials

16. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Employers may need to design and develop – • Specific learning resources • Time and cost efficient learning activities and materials • Diversity training • Customised training

17. Valuing Australia's Older Workers and practical approaches to … • Cultural and behavioural issues • Recruitment practices • OH&S requirements …. targeted to HR Professionals, Managers, Employee Relations staff and Recruitment Personnel

18. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Employers will also need support and advice that assists them to – • Attract new employees • Retain staff • Manage skills requirements

19. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Learners will expect – Learning activities and materials that are: • Flexible, responsive and demand driven • Succinct and detailed, tailored to the learner’s work environment • Less formal, more focussed on work-based learning - tied to immediate work requirements - modified to work circumstances - cost effective and accessible - relevant to learner’s interest and perceived needs - judicious and professional

20. Valuing Australia's Older Workers All learning and assessment experiences should – • Take into account all prior learning – - formal - informal • Foster innovation and entrepeneurship • Involve the learner • Focus on practical ‘hands on’ application • Allow learners to achieve through - small incremental steps - opportunity for repetition - no time limits for achievement

21. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Critical factors for consideration – • Work with employers, industry, recruitment and HR management • Develop and implement effective strategies • Reinforce a ‘life-course’ perspective • Address entrenched attitudes and barriers • Provide a non-threatening training environment • Foster a demand driven approach to skills development • Emphasise recognition of prior learning and experience • Customise activities and services • Remove cultural, systemic or personal factors • In short – be learner driven

22. Valuing Australia's Older Workers Some suggestions – • Identify challenges for industry and client groups • Review current courses/services offered • Analyse current methodologies and practices, with particular emphasis on older learners • Create new approaches and innovative services • Consider staffing, resource and facility requirements • Identify professional development needs for the team

23. Valuing Australia's Older Workers The benefits – • Successful outcomes • Win more clients • Gain a competitive edge • Less complaints • Grow trade through referrals and repeat business • Compliant in legal and Registration obligations

24. Valuing Australia's Older Workers The Valuing Australia's Older Workers Professional Development Kit for RTOs • Purpose • Content - section one - section two - section three - section four • RPL • Other resources

25. Valuing Australia's Older Workers • Any questions? • Close