Older job seekers and employers working together

COTA CEO Sue Leitch welcomes you to Work45+

SUE LEITCH – Work 45 Plus is a one-stop information hub for job seekers and employers.

Evidence tells us that people start to experience barriers in accessing work from about the age of 45.

This is remarkable to me, given that 45 could be, typically, halfway through someone’s typical working life.

TEXT CARD – Unemployed people of every age face challenges. Older people who lose their job are more likely than other age groups to experience long term unemployment.

SUE LEITCH – But even if you’re pension age when you lose your job, you might still want to keep working for another 10 years. There’s no law that says you have to stop work when you’re 67.

TEXT CARD – Many employers stereotype older workers, failing to realise the advantages of an age diverse workforce.

SUE LEITCH – When we looked at all the research showing older workers make fantastic employees, we knew that we needed to do something to change stereotypes that were keeping too many older job seekers out of work.

In trying to figure out what could be done, COTA Tasmania asked people about their experience.

We talked to older Tasmanians who were unemployed.

TEXT CARD – Older jobs seekers said they felt judged instead of valued for their age.

Many said they felt dispirited by employers who failed to give feedback after interviews.

SUE LEITCH – We talked to employers who do value older workers.

TEXT CARD – Employers told us mature-aged staff contribute to a positive culture.

Evidence shows older workers are hard working, loyal and safety conscious.

SUE LEITCH – We talked to recruiters and job service providers. They told us older job seekers often talked too much about their work history rather than the skills they brought to this position and what their job aspirations were.

When we came to the end of our consultations, we knew we needed to build a website that was friendly and easy to navigate – something of benefit to both job seekers and employers.

Work 45 Plus is the result.

It has practical tips to help job seekers do better in interviews and make choices around careers and training.

For employers, it counters myths with evidence and shows there’s support out there to hire older people and to train them.

And perhaps most Importantly, it changes the narrative.

As our consultant’s Julia Curtis and Calvin Frith wrote, “the first step is for employers and job seekers to empathise, hear each other’s viewpoint, and understand the ‘why’ behind each other’s approach.”

So please send us your suggestions on content that will continue to help older jobs seekers be valued and employed.

Whether you’re a job seeker or employer, I hope Work 45 Plus works for you, and contributes to better outcomes.

TEXT CARD – COTA Tasmania would like to thank all involved in the development of Work45+, including our reference group.

Work45+ was developed by COTA Tasmania with the assistance of the Department of State Growth, Tasmania.