Workplace training and development is neglecting the over-55s
Like most things in life, whatever is new and shiny usually gets the most attention.
There is some truth to that in the workplace too, where there are even specific jobs that focus on the newest generation of workers. Think about campus recruiters, early-career developers and early-talent development consultants. Those titles are all the norm. But what about the flip side? Training and development dedicated to those over 55 years old are few and far between.
And the stats back it up.
According to Corndel’s Workplace Training Report 2024, one in three U.K. employees are over the age of 50, but a large proportion of this generation is being overlooked for workplace skills training opportunities and are being locked out of opportunities to upskill and re-skill in today’s rapidly evolving workplaces. More specifically, over half of those over 55 years old haven’t received any management or leadership training in their current role. That’s compared to employees in the 23 to 38-year-old age bracket where two-thirds received training.
“Some people haven’t really woken up to the changing face of the workforce,” said James Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Corndel. “It’s a huge cultural shift in terms of how we work with and support people across their careers. It’s never been more important to be able to activate and make sure that people who are more mature in their career can continue.”
While there is a lack of attention on this part of the workforce, others, like Kelly, are trying to highlight why it’s time to focus on the oldest cohort of workers. That’s doubled down today when people are staying in the workforce for longer periods, naturally leading to a larger over-55 cohort than ever before. By 2030, a whopping 150 million jobs will shift to workers over the age of 55, according to a new global study from management consultancy Bain & Company. It predicts that older and experienced workers will make up more than a quarter of the workforce by 2031.
More employers are realizing the importance, but still struggle to nail down and navigate inclusive training and development programs that go past negative stereotypes, like older workers not being tech savvy.
“They see professional development and training as one of the real reasons that attract them to a role,” said Kelly.
Leena Rinne, head of coaching at Skillsoft, argues that it comes down to one thing for employers: choosing to prioritize training or not.
“What I find is sometimes when you have macroeconomic headwinds, this stuff goes lower priority than just delivering results,” said Rinne. “I think there is a little bit of risk regardless of where an organization is or where we are collectively, that if there’s any economic turbulence or if there’s any concern about performance, that rises to the top above how we engage our people, how we treat our people, how we train our people.”
But even with macroeconomic headwinds, employers need to remain intentional about training and development for all of their employees. “It’s understanding from very senior leaders down that your only asset is your people,” said Rinne.
That starts with inclusive training, where the learning experience is tailored to an individual with an element of personalization.
“In an era where performance is so critical, and there is more scrutiny on that, it’s really important to find ways for your training programs to be more adaptable, to be in the flow of work and integrated into their day-to-day that you’re not expecting them to invest in a way that compromises their ability to get their job done,” said Rinne.
Linda Ho, chief people officer at AI-powered training platform Seismic, said that personalization of training and development, regardless of generation, is “prized.” Seismic data found that 89% of respondents agreed that providing a variety of options is the best way to adopt and learn new information.
“That’s not a surprise, said Ho. “We’re all slightly different. We like to consume information differently. We like to learn differently. If we’re able to meet people where they are, that really helps with adoption.”
Upskilling and reskilling have gained traction in recent years and could be the key to ensuring the older part of the workforce is included in professional development. Rinne says that if you have a thoughtful enough development strategy, you won’t have anyone who falls through the cracks or even have the need to focus on older workers.
“If there are trends of our over-55 population, let’s establish what those trends are, what are the gaps, where do we need to fill that in, what learning can we provide them, what application can we provide them?” said Rinne. “But if this population is treated differently from the outset, that might be a function of bias.”
And older workers usually ask themselves, once they hit 55 years old, questions like, ‘What is next? Do I want to reinvent myself one more time?; Could I get additional promotions?’
“It’s about the opportunities that prevent themselves for the older and more mature age bracket within an organization and whether or not they are invited to the table for promotion or new prospects or an entirely different functional experience,” said Kathleen Harmeston, a business transformation advisor.
She suggests that employers focus on development plans no matter someone’s age, ask how people want to be supported, and get an overall sense of their needs in the workforce.
“There needs to be a lot more injection into personal development plans and talking about what individuals are looking for in the more mature times in their lives,’ said Harmeston.