SE Older Workforce Action Programme Creative Thinking and Age Diverse Recruitment Nick Wilson Chair, SE Action Group

SE Older Workforce Action Programme South East 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.

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Why should an employer want to employ older workers?

SE Older Workforce Action Programme The missing middle of the workforce: change in age groups (Government Actuary’s Department)

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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 retire CGLI/ NE SS 2004

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Is it easy for an older person to get a job?

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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 –One person aged 50 to state pension age –One person over state pension age Previously mainly women aged Now mainly men over 65 Source: Economic and Labour Market Review

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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 50s Source: 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

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Qualifications and age

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Qualifications and Age in Milton Keynes

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Why does this matter to the South East economy?

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Looking through other lenses

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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).

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Sectoral differences (national)

SE Older Workforce Action Programme What kinds of support do individuals and employers need?

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Individual support Access routes Skills assessment Skills coaching Job-related training Mentoring Work trials Job brokerage In-work support

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Business support Access routes Recruitment & training needs Managing perceived risks Job/skills pledges Work trials Job brokerage Training packages Management support

SE Older Workforce Action Programme ‘Navigating the system’

SE Older Workforce Action Programme The Programme

SE Older Workforce Action 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.

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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+)

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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, participants supported with around £9m.

SE Older Workforce Action Programme South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Flagship 40 Plus Programme Focuses for investment: ‘Routeway Brokerage’ Retention programme (ReGROW) Older Entrepreneurship Sector Solutions Thames Gateway

SE Older Workforce Action Programme Achieving the 30,000 target by 2016 – annual outcomes (recruitment/retention) Pathways to work 3,400 Flexible New Deal 1,600 Redundancy Service 800 Train to Gain 1,000 Skills for Jobs 300 Information, advice and guidance 2,000 + European Social Fund Plus Flagship Programme 1,000 TOTAL 12,800 p.a. = 100,000 by 2016 !

SE Older Workforce Action Programme 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