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Empowering Older Workers: Changing Perspectives and Opportunities

Explore age discrimination, workforce challenges, and policy implications for workers over 50. Learn about barriers to career changes and the role of education and training in enhancing employability. Discover strategies to support older workers in the workforce.

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Empowering Older Workers: Changing Perspectives and Opportunities

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  1. Encouraging older people Professor Stephen McNair Director CROW

  2. The last remaining “normal” discrimination • 1 in 3 people over 50 experience age discrimination • 1 in 5 has no formal qualification • Labour market participation falls with age • Participation in training falls with age • It is very difficult to re-enter the market after 55 • 50+ unemployment rate is falling (down to 2.4%), but 1 in 3 of these are long term unemployed

  3. Older people think • People should have the right to stay in work as long as they are fit and able (92%) • The skills and talents of older people are being wasted (89%) • Government is trying to make people work longer to reduce the tax burden on younger people (75%) • Now that most people are living longer, it is reasonable to raise the state pension age (27%) CROW Postal Survey 2004

  4. What changes after 50? • Retirement ages fell, but now stopped • Workforce polarises (even more) and ladders vanish • Age discrimination is powerful • Well being is highest among employed • Life satisfaction is highest among part-time workers • Caring and working places stress on home before work • Those who are trained stay longer • For many the choice to leave becomes real JRF studies

  5. Are older workers different? • Capacity for work does not decline – for most • Motivation to work does not decline – if well managed • Flexibility and reducing stress become (even) more important • Poor health is the main cause of “retirement” before 55 • Loyalty to employer rises (n.b. some differences are effects of generation, not age) Various

  6. What makes work attractiveto (older) people? • Respect – feeling valued and using skills and knowledge • Social networks • Autonomy • Purpose • Money • Flexibility • Health

  7. What prevents career change in later life? • Employers welcome stayers, but don’t recruit older people • Some employers are suspicious about flexibility • Workers are conscious of weak labour market position • Workers don’t request promotion, new opportunities or flexibility • Most change after 50 is downwards • Men climb higher and fall further Age Discrimination: a lived experience and the employer dimension – CROW 2006

  8. Who is vulnerable to premature exit? • Experienced but not qualified • Low basic skills • Low level health problems • Low self confidence • Want to change job/employer • Want to work more flexibly – phase into retirement

  9. The role of education and training • Those who train stay longer • Training maintains employability • Training needed to compensate for historic disadvantage • Promotion is needed to ensure take up – this is the least likely group to train

  10. Vocational training • Two-thirds of older workers say that to do their job well they need skills they do not have • Over half received no training over the previous year • Training in technical skills most sought after • Less than one in five said they have ever refused training • Most never thought to ask for training CROW postal survey 2005

  11. Learning participation by age NIACE 2006

  12. Current employment policy • Raise labour market participation rates • Increase numbers over 50 in work by 1 million • Reduce IB claimants by 1 million • Make age discrimination illegal • Age Positive campaign

  13. Current education policy • Strengths • Level 2 and basic skills free – but? • Ensures well qualified young entrants • Age discrimination law supports equity (??) • Weaknesses • No targeting of older people – despite their disadvantage • Only whole qualifications – too big for many • Targeting of young people - squeezes out the old • Exemption of funding from age discrimination law • No targeted IAG

  14. Lessons for the design of work • Good management is critical • Honest conversations about plans – reviews, appraisals • Flexibility and part-time options help retention • Ensuring respect and status prevents early exit • Social motivation matters • Mission and purpose • Money • Health – intervene early • Improve training – access and relevance • Remember that people are different

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