The aim of the 'WorkAge'- extending lives project is to promote the concept of Age Management in the Yorkshire & Humber region in order to prolong the working lives of older workers and support employers to ensure that they retain the skills, experience and knowledge of older workers in the labour market in these challenging economic times.

This will be achieved by:

• developing and piloting new, as well as adapt existing, employer age management tools for the regional labour market;
• building a bank of good practice resources that employers can utilise;
• developing and piloting new tools to support unemployed/inactive people over 50, as well as those people over 50 in employment but at risk of redundancy; and
• carrying out research to support the development of age management strategies to encourage continued participation and/or re-entry of older workers into the labour market.

Follow this link for a postcard of further marketing information.
Follow this link for a general leaflet of marketing information.

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WorkAge for Individuals

A 'Skills Assessment' tool was developed by the Fair Play Partnership for older workers as part of its Fair Play for Older Workers project. The tool was developed to support people over 50 who were seeking to change employment or re-enter the labour market.

This will be used to support you if you are an unemployed/inactive older worker or if you are at risk of redundancy; to identify your transferable skills and match these to what employers are looking for in the current market.

WorkAge Skills Assessment Programme

This fully funded (free) programme is aimed at individuals aged 50 and over and will be delivered in programmes across North and West Yorkshire and the Humber Region.

The programme consists of three half day workshops which give you the opportunity to identify which highly employable skills you have gained through your day-to-day life, work or social activities, many without you realising. By skills we mean being able to do tasks and fulfil roles in a range of situations.

The programme includes a session on confidence building and options such as self employment and signposting to volunteering opportunities.

With this knowledge the programme could assist you to move forward into new or different employment, self employment, volunteering, training or a combination of these depending on your individual aspirations.

The programme is friendly and informal and will give you the opportunity to share ideas and work with others who are assessing their current skills and futures too.

Individual Case Studies

Follow these links to see how the freeworkshops funded by the European Social Fund helped some of the WorkAge participants.

WorkAge profiles

Ulrika Casterton
Penny Atkinson
Angela Frank
Anita Moore
Jean Chalton
Leighton Davies
Richard Barrett
Pauline Bate
Mark Grindell
Diane Roberts
Jane Moorhouse

Programme Content

Introduction to your group, trainer and the project
Self Assessment Activities
Skills Assessment Tool
Confidence Building workshop
Future Planning and Goal Setting workshop
Optional – Investigating Self Employment Opportunities Workshop

Please contact Sue Newton-Brown on 01904 770234 or email:
snewtonbrown@yorkcollege.ac.uk to book a place.

WorkAge for Employers

Research by DWP shows that older workers are disproportionately affected in times of restructuring and therefore it is imperative that an intervention is delivered to support employers to ensure that they retain the right people and the right skills, knowledge and experience so that when the economy improves they have the right people to take the business forward.

We will equip your company to deal with the challenging times by adopting an 'age management' approach, whilst working closely with Business Link in order to link into other services such as Train to Gain.

Whilst working with you, older workers within your organisation will be supported to further develop their skills (using tools developed for unemployed/inactive older workers) and if they are at risk of redundancy, assistance with job search will also be given. The aim being to ensure that older workers retain their employment.

Follow this link for Employer information.

Employer case studies

Follow these links to see how the free workshops funded by the European Social Fund helped some of the employers.

WorkAge Royal York Profile

WorkAge Petherbridge Bassra Profile

Severn Unival

Resources

Trainer Notes

These notes are written so that they can be used at a variety facilitators who have different levels of experience in delivery, and for a variety of delegates. Elements within the materials can be picked and used according to the audience requirements.

A practical guide to confidence

Self employment workshop

Skills assessment tool

Research

The Fair Play Partnership, in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University carried out an employer survey in 2005 to understand the awareness of and action taken by employers in the UK in regards to the ageing population.

As part of the 'WorkAge' programme, we will be repeating this research to establish whether awareness levels of population ageing have increased and what barriers (new or existing) employers face in implementing age management strategies. By comparing the results of this to the previous survey , which was undertaken when there was relatively full employment and employers in certain sectors were facing skills shortages; we will be able to establish whether the barriers are the same or different in the current economic climate.

A research body will be engaged through an open tender process to carry out the employer survey, statistical analysis and reporting. The research will survey a representative sample of 500 employers in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The research element will also draw on a study currently being carried out by Fair Play for the Worklessness Commission for over 50s into the barriers to employment for unemployed/inactive people over 50 in Yorkshire and the Humber. The study involves interviewing 80 unemployed /inactive people over 50.
This and the employer survey will be used to inform development of tools to be piloted with employers through this project.

Funded by:

Working in Partnership with:

Age UK

Unionlearn

OWEN

Worklink