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An Employer’s Guide to employing and training older workers
Wales’ workforce is getting older. By 2022, one-third of people of working age in Wales will be over the age of 50.
Simply put, older workers are vital for the future of our economy and our businesses and we need to challenge our perceptions of an older person and what they can do.
Surprisingly to some, an older worker is defined as someone who is age 50 or above.
An ageing population and workforce means that making work more inclusive for older workers will be increasingly important for employees, employers and the economy.
Retaining people, developing their skills throughout their working life and recruiting older workers have never been more critical to business survival as well as growth.
The time to plan for an ageing workforce is now, not just for larger businesses but also for SMEs, where the loss of skills and cost of recruitment can be more consequential.
All the information here is drawn from the experience of employers who have seen the commercial benefits of employing a multigenerational workforce.
We’ve included case studies and research to show the reality of what older employees can bring to business, busting some ageist myths along the way.
- Our workforce is getting older and young people joining the labour market will not fill all of the vacancies.
- By 2022, 1 in 3 people of working age in Wales will be over 50.
(Source: Welsh Government population projections, 2019)
Retaining, training and recruiting older workers will ensure you have the employees you need as fewer young people join the labour market.
There are many misconceptions about employing older workers. Take a look at evidence from research and actual commercial experience that dispel some of these.
To combat the looming worker shortage, large and small employers alike can take steps to train, retain and recruit older workers.
Did you know? Within the next five years, one in three people of working age in Wales will be over the age of 50.
