se older workforce action programme creative thinking and age diverse recruitment nick wilson chair,...

SE Older Workforce Action Programme

Creative Thinking

and

Age Diverse Recruitment

Nick WilsonChair, SE 40-70 Action Group


South East 40-70 Tomorrow’s Workforce Programme

• Purpose:– To maximise the older workforce’s contribution to increased

economic activity and productivity in the South East.

• Two broad aims:– To retain more older workers in the active workforce through

reskilling, flexible employment opportunities and other means.– To return more older workers to the active workforce when they

have left as a result of redundancy, ill-health or for other reasons.


Why should an employer want to employ older

workers?


The missing middle of the workforce: change in age groups 2004-2020 (Government

Actuary’s Department)


In next decade…….

• 600,000 fewer young people (SE 80,000)

• 1.5million new jobs (SE 200,000)

• Shortfall of 2.1million people (SE 280,000)

• 50% of Chartered Engineers & Teacher Trainers to retireCGLI/ NE SS 2004


Is it easy for an older person to get a job?


Recent trends

• Employment rate for over 50s up from 64% in mid-90s to 70% in 2006

• Biggest increases in South and East and amongst the better qualified

Source: The Age and Employment Network (TAEN)

• Over past 5 years, for every three UK-born additions to labour force:– One person aged 16-49– One person aged 50 to state pension age– One person over state pension age

• Previously mainly women aged 60-64• Now mainly men over 65

Source: Economic and Labour Market Review


Today’s realities

• 2.5 million aged 50 to state pension age not working: same as 10 years ago

• Over 50s employment rate 11% lower than under 50sSource: The Age and Employment Network (TAEN)

• Around half of IB claimants are older people • On IB for 2 years: more likely to die or retire than work

again Source: Health and Worklessness: Implications for Primary Care

.......i.e. older workers are keeping up with the age bulge, but number of older workless is not reducing


Qualifications and age

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69

(All economically active)

% w

ith

qu

ali

fic

ati

on

le

ve

l

Degree level

Below degree

Unqualified


Qualifications and Age in Milton Keynes

Qualifications and age

No Qualifications by Age and Gender

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

18 to

19

20 to

24

25 to

29

30 to

34

35 to

39

40 to

44

45 to

49

50 to

54

55 to

59

60 to

64

65 to

69

70 to

74

Age

%

Males

Females


Why does this matter to the South East

economy?


Economic contribution of older people

• Over 50s in work contribute nearly £30 billion to SE GDP

• Since 1997 an extra 130,000 SE over 50s are in work

• Similar increase over next decade would add approaching £4 billion to SE GDP

• Regional Economic Strategy goal of 30,000 net additional older workers in work

……with potential to add a further £1 billion to SE GDP


Looking through

other lenses


Older entrepreneurs

• 'Senior Startups' (business owners aged 50+ who have set up in the last five years) account for around one in six fledgling businesses in the UK each year and contribute more than £24 billion to the UK economy (Research published by Yellow Pages).

• Companies started by older people have a 70% chance of surviving the first 5 years, compared with less than 30% for those started by younger people (Research published by Barclay’s Bank).


Sectoral differences (national)


What kinds of support do individuals and

employers need?


Individual support

• Access routes

• Skills assessment

• Skills coaching

• Job-related training

• Mentoring

• Work trials

• Job brokerage

• In-work support


Business support

• Access routes

• Recruitment & training needs

• Managing perceived risks

• Job/skills pledges

• Work trials

• Job brokerage

• Training packages

• Management support


‘Navigating the system’


The 40-70 Programme


Getting things to happen

• Achieving change longer term: refocusing of existing skills, employment and business support programmes, drawing on mainstream funding.

• Pump-prime the programme with European and SEEDA funding.


Mainstream provision• Pathways to Work (48% of IB claimants are 50+)

• Flexible New Deal (50+ advisers; Wise Council)

• Train to Gain flexibilities (unemployed; self-employment; volunteering; flexible learning goals)

• Business Link (South East Enterprise Programme)

• nextstep (one-third of customers are 45+)


ESF : “One in Five”

• Around one in five participants need to be 50+ (LSC & DWP)

• £1m SE LSC specification focused particularly on 50+ recruitment

• Taken together, around 7,000 50+ participants supported with around £9m.


South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Flagship 40 Plus Programme

Focuses for investment:

• ‘Routeway Brokerage’

• Retention programme (ReGROW)

• Older Entrepreneurship

• Sector Solutions

• Thames Gateway


Achieving the 30,000 target by 2016 –annual outcomes (recruitment/retention)

Pathways to work 3,400Flexible New Deal 1,600Redundancy Service 800Train to Gain 1,000Skills for Jobs 300Information, advice and guidance 2,000+ European Social Fund 700+ 40 Plus Flagship Programme 1,000

TOTAL 12,800 p.a.

= 100,000 by 2016 !


Key points:

1. 100,000 by 2016 = 30,000 really sustained employment

2. Embedding ESF and 40 Plus approaches in future mainstream programmes

3. Will require rigorous and effective evaluation

se older workforce action programme creative thinking and age diverse recruitment nick wilson chair,...

Documents

older person

se gdp slide

age slide

active workforce

action group slide

older workforces contribution

number of older workless

new jobs se