Could apprenticeships help bring back older workers?

The 2022 State of Ageing report published by the Centre for Ageing Better reveals that over 50s are being left behind by the post-pandemic employment recovery, with the poorest people one of the most affected groups.

Only 2% of apprentices are aged 16 to 18 years

The report highlights the impact the pandemic had on older workers who were more likely to be made redundant and less likely to be re-employed, and calls for back to work support for over 50s to address the challenges.  There are now 19,000 people more in the 50-64 age group who are unemployed and 228,000 more who are economically inactive than there were pre-pandemic.  This shift is being referred to as ‘the Great Retirement’.

The report raises an interesting point about our attitude to older workers, and the valuable skills and experience employers are losing as a result. Could apprenticeships be part of the solution? We know they are no longer just for young people and school leavers. The average age of an apprentice on the Rubitek platform is 39 which might surprise you.

The government has published guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-and-support-for-older-workers/help-and-support-for-older-workers and appointed Andy Briggs, Chief Executive Officer at Phoenix Group as Business Champion for Older Workers. There are also some useful factsheets, research and guidance available at the link above designed to help employers.

If you’d like to find out more about how Rubitek can help employers bring back older works and even help them retrain and upskill through the different apprenticeship pathways, please get in touch with us by emailing info@rubitek.co.uk or calling 0330 133 0540.