Apprenticeship – The benefits of employing older apprentices

The evidence firmly suggests those in later life want to continue working. A January YouGov poll showed that around half of non-retired over-50s want to still be working between the ages of 65 and 70, and only 15% of non-retired over-50s said they would want to stop work altogether between ages 60 and 65.

“If you ask someone to picture an apprentice they’ll more than likely conjure up an image of a school leaver,” says Alison Fuller, the Institute of Education’s director of research and development, and the researcher behind Do Adult Apprenticeships Work?, the first academic study on older apprentices. “It’s a missed opportunity if a large proportion of the workforce’s capacity to learn is underestimated. It’s important that opportunities are available for the individual, the labour market and the wider economy.”

“At 40 to 50 you’re going to have another 25 years in work, so it’s still very important to keep learning, keep developing and remain happy in your career,” agrees Fiona Aldridge, assistant director for development and research at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). “And people in the later life age bracket have labour market experience in a way that a young school leaver hasn’t.”

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at HR Magazine – The benefits of employing older apprentices.