Addressing age discrimination in the workforce
Australians are working longer however many job seekers over 50 say they face substantial obstacles in attempts to find a job as many companies seem to prefer younger employees over mature aged workers.
The impact of age discrimination in the workplace and on older job seekers will be addressed at a conference held by the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria in Melbourne on Tuesday 31 May.
The Seniors Conference will also examine the recommendations of the Willing to Work Report from the Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Employment Discrimination Against Older Australians.
Marlene Krasovitsky from the Australian Human Rights Commission will give the keynote address at the conference on the result of the recently released report.
“People are living longer and this is a triumph of the modern age. Improvements in medicine and health mean that many of us now look forward to a productive, extended life,” says Jack Sach, chief executive officer of COTA Victoria.
“But unless we tackle age discrimination many people will spend up to forty years of their life without work. There are people as young as 45 experiencing age discrimination, unable to get work and many have given up trying.”
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that while people aged 55 years and over make up roughly a quarter of the population, they only make up 16% of the total Australian workforce.
According to Mr Sach Governments need to adopt targets for employment and retention of older people in the public service and fund and introduce a national education campaign to dispel myths and stereotypes about older people.
“We hope this conference will contribute to action to combat age discrimination so we particularly want to hear from older people who have experienced discrimination,” Mr Sach says.
For more information visit the COTA Victoria website.
