Almost a quarter of small-business owners are relying on older workers, rather than college graduates, to overcome the skills shortage, according to independent think tank the Tenon Forum.
Tenon’s research found that 45% of SMEs are concerned about the shortage of skilled labour, and 66% believe employing workers aged 50-plus is a good solution to the problem.
“Staffing issues are a constant concern for entrepreneurs, with huge amounts of time and money going into recruiting and retaining employees who have the right skills and talents,” said Tenon Forum Chief Executive Andy Raynor.
“Older members of staff can bring huge benefits to an organisation and we expect to see more and more entrepreneurial businesses taking a flexible approach to recruitment and utilising this valuable skills base,” he added.
Raynor pointed out that recent legislation changes have also meant there is a greater pool of older workers available to employers. “Changes to pensions’ legislation, combined with the recent age discrimination legislation, are encouraging people to put their retirement on hold and continue working in some capacity, either as full-time or part-time employees, or as consultants,” he said.
According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) adviser, Freda Line, it is no surprise that employers are turning to older workers to overcome the shortage of skilled labour. “We have a rapidly ageing population and increasingly negative perceptions about the skills of younger workers,” she said.
“The positive stereotypes and attributes attached to older workers are well known – loyalty, reliability, good time-keeping, experience and knowledge,” continued Line. “However, there are many negative perceptions that are still common – such as that they have poor IT skills, are difficult to train, are sick more often and reluctant to change their ways. All the evidence from CIPD and others is that these are myths – clearly employers now relying on older workers know this.”
If you are looking to upskill your employees, make sure you contact your local Training Partner to discuss the best training plan available to you by contacting them on 08456 000 111.