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ERIC Number: EJ963033
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 16
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0260-1370
EISSN: N/A
Mature Age "White Collar" Workers' Training and Employability
Dymock, Darryl; Billett, Stephen; Klieve, Helen; Johnson, Greer Cavallaro; Martin, Gregory
International Journal of Lifelong Education, v31 n2 p171-186 2012
Global concerns about the growing impact of ageing populations on workplace productivity and on welfare budgets have led to a range of government-supported measures intended to retain and upskill older workers. Yet, a consistent theme in the research literature is that older workers are reluctant and harder to train than younger workers, and that, regardless, employers are ambivalent about supporting such training. However, a survey of over 250 mature-age workers in mainly professional and administrative (i.e. "white collar") roles identified strong interest and belief in their capacity to engage in learning required to maintain their employability, and that their employers are often supportive of their ongoing education and training. The data also indicate that these workers found personal worth in their work, felt respected and acknowledged by coworkers, and wanted to contribute more fully to their workplaces. These findings not only contradict what is consistently reported elsewhere, but suggest that age "per se" may not be the factor that shapes perceptions of older workers' employability, but the kinds of employment and level of education held by older workers. Therefore, extending the working lives of these valued "white collar" workers might need to be realised through continuing to provide them with opportunities for rich work and further development to sustain their capacities and interest in contributing to their work and workplaces. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A