Many UK employees over the age of 50 find themselves excluded from skills training opportunities, impacting their ability to upskill and adapt.
- A large portion of UK employees aged over 55 do not receive adequate management or leadership training, in contrast to their younger counterparts.
- Technical skills training, including digital tool proficiency, is significantly lacking among employees over 55, compared to younger age groups.
- A worrying number of over 55s lack confidence in their skills, affecting their job security and career mobility.
- Experts emphasise the importance of continuous learning and upskilling for all age groups in rapidly evolving workplaces.
In the United Kingdom, employees over the age of 55 are increasingly being overlooked in the context of workplace training opportunities. One in three UK employees is over 50, yet many from this demographic remain without access to opportunities essential for upskilling and career advancement.
Data indicates that more than half of those over 55 years old have not received any form of management or leadership training in their current roles. Conversely, individuals aged between 23 and 38 are more likely to have engaged in such training, with approximately 67% of them having participated.
The disparity extends to digital skills training, with over half of over 55s not receiving any instruction on using contemporary digital tools like ChatGPT in the past year. This figure is double that of the 18-25 age bracket.
Professional development is a pivotal concern for the over 55s, with over half indicating its importance in their decision to remain with an organization. Alarmingly, 19% of this group feel their current skill set is insufficient for securing new employment or effecting a career change, compared to just 8% of those under 55.
James Kelly of Corndel underscores the issue, stating, “Skills power people and power organisations. Without adequate training opportunities, we are not allowing this group of the workforce to thrive.” This highlights the necessity for integrating continuous learning and upskilling into workplace culture, particularly for older employees as they navigate the fast-paced changes of modern workplaces.
The Corndel and Imperial College London Data Analyst programme exemplifies efforts to counteract these trends. Robin Razzell, a participant, acknowledges the urgency of continuous learning, stating, “Unless you are staying ahead of the curve, you essentially become redundant.”
Addressing the training gap for over 55s is crucial for leveraging their potential and ensuring they thrive in contemporary workplaces.
