Britain is running the risk of becoming a skills desert if employers continue to ignore the value of older workers, a national expert on ageing has warned.
“There is real value in retaining the rich skills of older workers, but few businesses have yet caught on to the huge potential of this growing population,” claimed Professor Tom Kirkwood, director of the Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age, and a senior Government adviser on ageing issues.
“Older workers have vast mental capital which all too often gets wasted,” added the Newcastle University academic. “Those businesses that get this right will be the ones most likely to create the growth that will benefit everyone, whether old already or just seeking to enter the mature workforce.
“Employers need to start realising that by embracing the mental capital of the ageing workforce, businesses can grow, and even flourish, which in turn will strengthen our economy and continue to ensure the social care needs of our greying futures are met adequately.”
Prof Kirkwood was responding to a survey suggesting few employers were bothering to maintain or even recruit an older workforce. “This situation will only get worse,” he said, issuing a wake-up call to both the Government and society. “For all our sakes we have got to start taking this problem seriously.”
The survey, conducted by YouGov and presented to a discussion meeting on ageing at London’s Royal Institution, questioned 500 UK and business leaders.
As many as 81 per cent admitted to being concerned about the wastage of skills when older workers retire. Two-thirds claimed that over-50s made an important contribution to their business, yet only 12 per cent of bosses said they invested in any kind of training specifically for older staff.
Of the 500 senior managers, 40 per cent said people over the age of 50 accounted for a quarter of their workforce, yet less than a twentieth – just four per cent – had designed or installed work spaces to make working easier and more productive for mature workers.
Attempting to secure a new job can be frustrating and disheartening for the recently retired or older career-changer. Six out of ten bosses questioned said they had no company policy which encouraged the employment of people over-50. Half the employers said they received job applications from over-50s, but just a third actively recruited older workers.
Prof Kirkwood’s plea to the Government has been backed by Baroness Sally Greengross, an independent member of the House of Lords. She claimed there was a “significant and ingrained denial” running through all levels of business toward the implications of ignoring the looming skills gap.
“We need to change our attitudes and stop defining age by the number of birthday candles we have on a cake,” said Baroness Greengross, who is also chief executive of the UK International Longevity Centre. “If we don’t change our employment practices and attitudes industry is facing an inevitable and painful crisis.”
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