I would like to know about any programmes aimed at encouraging older employees approaching retirement to consider remaining in employment, and the options that are open to them to enable this to happen. i.e. reduced hours, working from home, staggered shifts etc.
I would be grateful to see any programmes and materials, or names of training providers in this field (as opposed to pre-retirement training).
Sarah James
4 Responses
Similar courses
I have run courses which have offered developmental options, and have included information on how we learn (given that our brains continue to expand as long as we use them) in order to encourage people into continued activity. This is all around motivation and health. Having taught pre-retirement courses, you are quite right – this is very different. The sort of course you want could be developed very easily from the material I use.
The options you mention i.e part time, shift work etc would be according to availability and not in the control of the individuals.
If you want to talk more – email me: [email protected]
remaining in work
Sarah this is an interesting slant,and I’m not sure if what you want exists at present, but there are a number of ways it could be developed. My interest in this is through the experience of becoming redundantin just in my 50’s setting up as a freelance trainer and consultant and becoming aware of the differences between organisational life and freelance life. If a course could help people achieve the advantages of both it would be a winner! I’d be very interested in helping develop something new , do get in touch if you’d like to talk about it Derek Adams derek [email protected]
volunteering may be an answer
Sarah – the National Centre for Volunteering and Local Government Association are currently involved in a project which is aiming to encourage volunteering for the over 50s. At present it is in a pilot stage, but we are hoping to see whether the uptake of volunteering will help retention rates by building up skills, improving motivation and by generally improving health. The Active Community Unit is also involved in many projects in this area. Feel free to email me for more info, [email protected]
Using the Wisdom Within
Dear Sarah
Myself and a colleague recently put together an outline programme called Using the Wisdom Within. This is aimed at tapping into the rich experiences of older employees, who might otherwise think they were on the scrap heap when they were approaching 45/50. Particularly in IT companies, there is such a drive to tap young creative talent, that the more experienced folks rarely get to share their creativity. Or they get bogged down in structures that don’t allow them to fully contribute. Younger managers often feel uncomfortable dealing with older, more sceptical staff who have seen it all before, and so the communication channels can close down. We have developed some processes that allow the communication to flow so that both sides benefit. We build career coaching into the process so that new careers can be designed that tap into talents and we also specialise in helping people get more of a life/work balance.
If you are interested, please call me on
01829 752312 – The Whole Person Company – I’d be delighted to hear from you.