Employers ‘should embrace’ ageing workforce

university-of-waikato

Tue Jan 20 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Employers ‘should embrace’ ageing workforce

Tuesday, 20 January 2009, 5:16 pm
Press Release: University of Waikato

Media Release
January 19, 2009

The ageing workforce could be a blessing for many employers, says the author of a report into further learning.

Professor Brian Findsen, the director of Waikato University’s Pathways College, has just published research into adult education, which was completed during his time working at Glasgow University in Scotland. The research was commissioned by the West of Scotland Wider Access Forum which wanted to know more about how to give older people better access to further learning.

Prof Findsen began as director at Pathways College last April. Pathways runs Waikato University’s continuing education courses, certificate programmes to prepare people for university, learning support for all students, and English language programmes. About 4000 people a year enrol with Continuing Education, the adult education section of Waikato Pathways College.

Prof Findsen has a special interest in older adult education (usually defined as people over 50), and says; “It’s often a chance for people to do things in life without the trammels of work and family.” However, he says too many assumptions are made about why people undertake further informal or formal learning when they are older.

His Scottish research showed one of the reasons for further learning is for a change of career. “Some people think ‘I’ve always wanted to do this and at last I can’, others simply want to pick up new knowledge, while others use further learning as a way to increase their chances of a promotion at work,” Prof Findsen says. “A lot of people are doing it for a combination of these reasons with the added value of then being able to change jobs.”

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And although there isn’t similar New Zealand research, Prof Findsen thinks the findings are applicable here. And he says some New Zealand employers are beginning to realise the usefulness of the grey workforce as the ageing population increases. “For a long time they have thought ‘Why would I employ someone of 55-60 years of age?’ But those people have tremendous life experience and they do provide a very stable and flexible workforce.”

He says in times of recession and then rebuilding, cautious businesses may feel more comfortable about taking on stable but enthusiastic older workers who have had a career change.

Waikato University will meet many of the region’s organisations for older people this year to talk about adult education and the benefits to people and society. Prof Findsen will meet groups to discuss what the university can offer. Waikato University has worked for many years with Hamilton’s Rauawaawa Charitable Trust to offer education programmes to the trust’s kaumatua and whanau.

Prof Findsen says one of New Zealand’s greatest advantages for adult education is the open entry to universities for people over 25, and the flexibility of part-time study. “If you really believe in life-long learning, you need to structure universities and other institutions so people can come in when it suits them.”

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