EMPLOYABILITY OF OLDER PERSONS – THE DISCRIMINATED PENSIONERS

1. EMPLOYABILITY OF OLDER PERSONS – THE DISCRIMINATED PENSIONERS Prof. Datu Dr. Zulkifli Jantan, UNIMAS, at the ASEAN Conference on Healthy Ageing, 8-10 Oct. 2017, Kuching, Sarawak.

2. Greetings, from Kuching https://sarawaktourism.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/kuchingcity.jpg

3. The Elderly • Developing countries : 55 years old • Developed countries : 60 years old • WHO classification (2016) : 65 years old

4. EMPLOYABILITY OF OLDER PERSONS – THE DISCRIMINATED PENSIONERSReview of the paper:Employability of older people; a scientific review, conclusions and recommendations,Roland Kadefors, (2010)

5. The Physical Changes • Anthropometric • Increase in abdominal, hip girth • Decrease in length • Diminishing endurance, strength, speed, agility, reaction time and hearing and vision. • The visual changes include sensitivity to glare, poor contrast, reduced visual field and decrease level of visual acuity. • The mind also diminishes in capacity and capability. The detectable cognitive changes include decrease in intelligence, memory and learning, and an increase in occurrence of depression and dementia

6. Mental Changes • The mind diminishes in capacity and capability. • The detectable cognitive changes include decrease in intelligence, memory and learning, • And an increase in occurrence of depression and dementia. • It will take a senior citizen 1.2 times longer to finish a cognitive process

7. Employability • Employability is the ability of an individual to acquire employment and to sustain the status. Pensioners/Retirees - 55 yrs old and above

8. Age and Productivity • Swedish Govt study “Senior Study” ( 2005), – 53 % of employers believed that older people have difficulties to learn new things. • Greller and Simpson (1999) – there is no relationship between age and productivity, • Salthouse (1997), - the loss of cognitive function by aging may be balanced by cumulative experience,

9. Employment Requisites • Lifelong Learning • Restricted by circumstantial conditions, • New skills • Techno and IT savvy, • Employer or Workplace Support • Age management • Equal opportunities for all age groups • Transfer of knowledge , • Competence development

10. UnSuitable Employment • Heavy to Moderate physical demands, • High work pace, • Irregular hours, particularly shift work, • Requiring good muscular coordination, • Requiring long hours of using the computer. • Requiring fine eye-hand coordination

11. Preparing for Employment After Retirement • Maintain good health ie physical and mental • Learn a trade / skill that can be useful. • Go to school / college / university • Upgrade on computer skills.

12. Life Experience • Opportunities are available • There is a negative differential in income • Number of retirees who found employment is fair • Almost equal proportion of self employed to ,,, • There are biases and exploitation of retirees • Some retirees are contented with their unemployed status.

13. References