A YouGov survey commissioned by Avanta, a welfare to work training and enterprise organisation, shows that 59 per cent of Britons over the age of 55 believe that their age is a major barrier to current employment, second only to a lack of vacancies, 66 per cent of those aged 55 or over. The survey was conducted online in January 2010 and questioned 2094 people nationwide.
It also found that, at a time when many older people are finding themselves having to work longer following the credit crunch and ensuing recession affecting their pension fund, 70 per cent of over 55s are not confident of finding a job within three months of becoming unemployed.
If made unemployed, 84 per cent of over 55s would consider a different type of job from anything they have previously done, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) willing to relocate, compared with 49 per cent of 18-24 year olds.
With the state pension age being raised for women to 65 over the next ten years, those with at least a decade of potential workplace contribution should not be excluded from the jobs market, says Janette Faherty, CEO of Avanta.
“People aren’t born with a ‘use by’ date, yet the over 55s often feel as though they are ‘left on the shelf’; that they will struggle to compete with younger people who they see as more technologically minded with more up to date qualifications. That point of view ignores the huge benefit of experience, and transferable skills they can bring to a job, but this lack of confidence can deter older people from applying for roles they are more than capable of doing.
“The Avanta companies, TNG and InBiz, work with people of all ages to help them gain up to date qualifications and learn new skills, such as IT skills, to help them into work. We find that those who are older can be just as enthusiastic as those who are young. We would encourage employers not to discount people simply because of their age, and to encourage applications from people of all ages.”
Susan Eades, 55, of Grantham, was concerned that her age and an injury to her leg would prevent her from finding work, but is celebrating getting a job at Marks & Spencer.
Susan began working with the TNG office in Grantham after being unemployed for 8 months. She had a personal assessment, which identified customer services as an area Susan would enjoy working in. Helped by an adviser, she updated and improved her CV, completed interview training sessions and took part in mock interviews. After 9 weeks, Susan’s confidence had improved and she began applying for customer service roles, successfully landing a job at Marks & Spencer.
Commenting on her journey into work, Susan said, “Being older made me wonder why anyone would take me on when there are younger people out there. My TNG adviser helped me to see that I had lots of experience and skills that I’d picked up over the years, and that I had a lot to offer. In fact, far from being past it, I’m learning new things, making new friends and enjoying getting out more.”
