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The number of workers in Wales aged over 50 has risen by almost a quarter - 24.8% - between 2006 and 2016. In contrast, the number of younger people in the workforce has fallen during this period. Workers in the 16-24 age group have fallen by 10.1%, with a 3% drop for 25-49-year-old workers. These new fi gures (1) coincide with a Welsh Government drive to raise awareness among employers of the need to train, retain and recruit older workers. The ‘People Don’t Have A ‘Best Before’ Date’ campaign points out the critical importance of older workers to businesses. It is the latest initiative under the Welsh Government’s Age of Investment drive to ensure Wales has the skills it needs to compete in the global marketplace, both now and in the future. The Welsh Government has teamed up with Learning and Work Institute, Business in the Community (BITC) Cymru, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, the Federation for Small Businesses and Chwarae Teg for the campaign, which seeks to challenge stereotypes, demonstrate the value of a multigenerational workforce and encourage employers to continually invest in skills throughout their colleagues’ working lives. Workers from a cross-section of exemplar Welsh businesses that have shown a commitment to investing in an all-age workforce are supporting the ‘People Don’t Have A ‘Best Before’ Date’ campaign and their stories will feature prominently in the campaign’s promotional materials. Using a mix of radio and digital advertising and downloadable advice guides and toolkits, the campaign aims to illustrate to employers the tangible business benefi ts of creating a skilled, effective, multi-generational workforce. Between 2006 and 2016, the priority sectors with the biggest jump in older workers in Wales – classifi ed as workers aged 50 and over – are life sciences (up 103.2%), creative industries (up 78.6%) and fi nancial and professional services (up 67.8%) (1).


Currently, the priority sectors with the largest number of older workers include energy and the environment (55,000), fi nancial and professional services (43,100), and construction (35,100)(1). Whilst life sciences had the biggest percentage increase in employment of older workers between 2006 and 2016, it has the lowest number of older workers – 5,800. This portrait of Wales’ ageing workforce highlights the need for employers in all sectors to consider the needs of their older workers as a key part of business survival and growth. Commenting on this campaign Skills and Science Minister, Julie James, said: “By 2022, around one in three people of working age in Wales (2) will be aged over fi fty. The number of young people entering the labour market may not be enough to fi ll all of the vacancies. “It is clear that older workers are vital for the future prosperity of our economy and our businesses so it is imperative that employers in Wales wake up to the need to train, retain and recruit older workers. This is critical to business survival and growth. It is bad for business if older workers retire before they are ready to, taking their skills, knowledge and experience with them.” Principality is one of the businesses supporting the campaign. Head of HR, Rhian Langham, said the building society is committed to investing in recruiting and retaining older employees. “We have started monitoring the age groups of applicants. We looked at our recruitment ads to make sure they were worded in a way that appealed to workers www.cardiffandsouthwalesadvertiser.com


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25% growth in older workers in Wales


in different age brackets. We then looked at what ratio of applicants from those different age brackets went on to be successful at interview and receive a job offer, and it was the 50-54 age bracket. We think it’s because of the rich applicant pool at this age, due to their business skills and experience. The amount of up-skilling we have to do with older workers is less, which means we can tap into their capability and reap the benefi t sooner. Latest fi gures from the UK Government Department of Work and Pensions (3) show that across England and Wales, 51% of employers monitor the age profi le of their organisation. However, only 48% of businesses in Wales carry out such monitoring – the lowest of any British region, compared with the North West of England, where 56% of businesses do so. Businesses in Wales are also one of the least likely to monitor the age of candidates during the recruitment process, when compared with other regions of England. Just 14% of businesses in Wales monitor the age of candidates during recruitment (the same fi gure is found for the North East of England). This is compared with 33% of businesses in Central England and 22% across England and Wales as a whole. Employers in Wales are being encouraged to monitor the age of their workforce so they can take steps to future proof their business, particularly when recruitment of workers is looked at in a wider context. We may see greater restrictions on immigration when Britain leaves the EU, meaning businesses will have an even greater reliance on older workers to meet the shortage of skills and to raise productivity. For Wales as a nation and for individual businesses there is an overwhelming case for investing in the skills of the adult population. The Welsh Government’s Age of Investment campaign promotes the need for wider skills development to help businesses and individuals to thrive and prosper. Employers are encouraged to invest more in the skills of their workforce and individuals of all ages are encouraged to develop the skills they need for a successful working life. For employers looking for more information on how they can invest in the skills of their workers, the Welsh Government’s Skills Gateway for Business – https:// businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/ has a range of advice and guidance including information on monitoring the age of your workforce.


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CARDIFF: 24-25 FEB. ’18


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