Helping over 50s to plan for encore career
A pilot career expo organised by the IRT Foundation in collaboration with the ACT Government and Australian Human Rights Commission aims to help the over 50s avoid possible unemployment by planning for an encore career.
L to R: Nieves Murray, IRT Group Chief Executive, Dr Chris Bourke, ACT Minister for Veterans and Seniors, and the Hon Susan Ryan AO, Age Discrimination Commissioner
This follows the findings from a recent survey of older workers which revealed over half those in the workforce had never undertaken any activities to plan for their career.
The National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre report, 'Change is inevitable, so plan for it – A survey of career planning among mature age Australians' also found of those not working during the past five years, 77 percent said they were unlikely to undertake career planning in the next three years.
“What the 'Change is inevitable, so plan for it' report shows is that we also need to help older Australians understand the importance of planning for an encore career,” explains IRT Group chief executive, Nieves Murray.
Australian Aged Discrimination Commissioner Susan Ryan says the key to success is helping older Australians transition into jobs that fit their needs, be that full time work in a different sector, working part-time or negotiating more flexibility with their employer.
“The Career Check Up Expo aims to do this by providing over 50s with a one-stop-shop for career planning, education and training, financial planning and job seeking services,” she says.
Visitors will receive personalised skills analysis, basic advice about which sectors are growing and need workers, where jobs are located by region, and what skills and credentials are required.
The variety of registered training organisations and employer groups will assist visitors when looking at their later working years and workers will also be educated about issues they may experience as they age in their current job. This will equip them to tackle potential age discrimination in the workplace.
Visitors will also gain from networking with other mature workers and establish connections with employers who value experience and maturity.
Ultimately, organisers are keen for visitors to leave with a personal action plan of where they want to go, how to get there, and what their dream job might be, while supporting them as a member of the mature workforce.
The Career Check Expo for Mature Workers will be held at Ann Harding Conference Centre, Canberra University on Wednesday 29 June 10am-2pm.
The Foundation is planning a similar Expo in Illawarra later this year with the help of a grant worth nearly $60,000 from the NSW Government’s Liveable Communities Grants program.
“The grant will help our IRT Foundation collaborate with local businesses to hold an Expo that is designed to connect people over 50 years of age with specialist employment and training organisations, and prospective employers,” says Ms Murray.
“The Expo will bring key players in the Illawarra together to talk and connect, and develop employment pathways that will work for our region.”
For more details about the ACT expo and to express your interest in the NSW expo, contact IRT Foundation on 1800 024 915 or irtfoundation@irt.org.au
