Careers advice works for older workers
09/02/2009
There are overwhelming benefits for both older workers and their employers from careers advice and training. This is the major finding from the biggest research project ever done into careers advice and training for older workers. The research - carried out by NIACE (the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) for A4e - as part of the ReGrow project provided careers advice and follow-up training across the South-East to 1139 people over-50 in work in 353 firms.
Responses from employers and employees were very positive. Over 80% of firms identified benefits from the advice and the training. If they were to be offered again, the large majority would take up both the advice and the training, and would recommend it to a colleague.
The research also found that:
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more than half the participating employers reported that the careers advice and the training had increased workers motivation, productivity and flexibility and their commitment to the firm.
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older workers were surprised that anyone was interested in their needs, but when the service was offered they grasped it with enthusiasm.
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two-thirds of employees said that they were able to do their jobs better, half planned to take further training, and a third said they would probably stay in work longer
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surveys of employees before and after they took part showed that their attachment to their employer rose, they were less likely to report work-life balance problems and they were more likely to say that their employer valued them.
Stephen McNair, Associate Director of NIACE and evaluator of the project, said, “As Britain faces an ageing population, with most people spending a third of their adult life in retirement, Government is keen to make better use of the skills of older workers, and to encourage people to stay longer in the workforce. The lessons of ReGrow are clear. With careers advice and training, older workers are likely to make better use of their skills, and to stay longer in work, provided that the training is short and focused on immediate work problems.”
He ended, “However, there was little demand for longer training or for formal qualifications, which is the focus of current Government policy. If the new Advancement and Careers Service markets itself to older people in work, there is likely to be substantial demand.”
The report 'Strengthening the older workforce: an evaluation of the ReGrow Project in the South East Region' is available to view at the website linked below.