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Creative Thinking and Age Diverse Recruitment. Nick Wilson Chair, SE 40-70 Action Group. South East 40-70 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:
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Creative ThinkingandAge Diverse Recruitment Nick Wilson Chair, SE 40-70 Action Group
South East 40-70 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.
The missing middle of the workforce: change in age groups 2004-2020 (Government Actuary’s Department)
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
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 16-49 • One person aged 50 to state pension age • One person over state pension age • Previously mainly women aged 60-64 • Now mainly men over 65 Source: Economic and Labour Market Review
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
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
Looking through other lenses
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).
Access routes Skills assessment Skills coaching Job-related training Mentoring Work trials Job brokerage In-work support Individual support
Access routes Recruitment & training needs Managing perceived risks Job/skills pledges Work trials Job brokerage Training packages Management support Business support
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.
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+)
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 7,000 50+ participants supported with around £9m.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)Flagship 40 Plus Programme Focuses for investment: • ‘Routeway Brokerage’ • Retention programme (ReGROW) • Older Entrepreneurship • Sector Solutions • Thames Gateway
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 700 + 40 Plus Flagship Programme 1,000 TOTAL 12,800 p.a. = 100,000 by 2016 !
Key points: • 100,000 by 2016 = 30,000 really sustained employment • Embedding ESF and 40 Plus approaches in future mainstream programmes • Will require rigorous and effective evaluation