Media Releases > Press Articles 2002

Older workers have their say

Sunshine Coast Seniors Newpsaper, July 2002, p14
Fifty-Plus News, August 2002, p6

Older workers had a rare opportunity to speak their minds at workshops on the changing nature of the labour market and portfolio employment run by Council on the Ageing with the Federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations in Melbourne, Brisbane, Bundaberg and Adelaide in June.

The key message from older workers are that they need better:

• attitudes from employers
  
• assistance from employment agencies including Jobnetwork providers, Centrelink and private agencies
• more tailored training that takes account of life and work experience
• services from seniors organisations like COTA and NSA.

Project manager, Veronica Sheen summed up the findings of the workshops.

"Clearly the labour market has changed dramatically in the past 15 to 20 years in line with all changes in the economy and society. But older workers have not had anywhere near enough support to face the new challenges. They need help to meet the risks of long term unemployment and help to tap into the new opportunities."

"The workshops showed that age discrimination is a real problem and needs to be tackled head on with employers through education campaigns that show the value and productivity of older workers."

"Special targetted services are needed, staffed by people who know and value the worth of mature age workers, who have links with local employers and employment needs, and who can advise and place workers in relevant, accessible training programs if required."

"It would help if employing organisations, such as Centrelink, Job Networks and contracted agencies themselves employed mature age workers who know where potential job seekers are coming from, to assist in job advice and placements.

"Governments and job agencies also need to promote their services more widely as the workshop participants were unaware of many benefits available to mature age job seekers. All job providers need to link up so they can offer advice and referrals to other services where appropriate.

" Many mature age job seekers need a lot of personalised support and counselling as they have become discouraged and lost confidence through repeated job knockbacks and discrimination," Veronica Sheen said.

"They also need a strong advocacy and representational role to the community and to Government to ensure their special needs are understood and met so they can rejoin the labour market as productive and satisfied workers."

COTA, soon to enter partnership with National Seniors, will provide this leadership to ensure they receive a fair go in the job market. The workshops' evaluations and final report will assist the Government in developing appropriate policies to assist mature age workers, she concluded.