FROM APRIL 2015'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE

A new report on retaining, retraining and recruiting older workers has called on government to introduce a national strategy to combat “significant evidence” of unconscious bias and age discrimination.

Authored by the government’s business champion for older workers Dr Ros Altmann CBE (pictured right), the report suggests improving adult skills, funding apprenticeships for all ages and even launching a formal investigation of the recruitment industry if recruiters continue to allow or practise age discrimination. 

“Although the government has made a start by abolishing the default retirement age, much more is needed,” she said. “There remains significant ageism in the workplace, with barriers to promotion, to training opportunities, to re-skilling and to returning to work after time out due to redundancy or caring.”

Her recommendations include improving Jobcentre programmes for over-50s jobseekers, imposing penalties for breaking the law against age discrimination, consideration of introducing Social Impact Bonds to fund back-to-work programmes and training for long-term unemployed older workers or returning carers and using more older women in visual media. Altmann also called for “a joined-up government approach to tackling ageism”. 

The report also served as a platform to debunk myths about older workers. “It is not true that each older worker in a job denies employment to a younger person,” Altmann said. “There is not a fixed number of jobs and the more spending power in the economy, the more jobs can be created.

“I hope that the next government, whatever its make-up, will embrace the recommendations… This must not be a political issue, it is of national importance regardless of politics.”

Model/actress Twiggy and TV journalist/presenter John Stapleton are championing the report, and appeared at its formal launch last week at the House of Commons. Stapleton was accompanied by his wife, TV presenter Lynn Faulds Wood. 

The report, ‘A New Vision for Older Workers: Retain, Retrain, Recruit’, was published on 11 March and can be found on the government's website.

DeeDee Doke, editor