Community partnership

Our community partnership

Our partnership with COTA NSW was established in 2019 to deliver a program of research, advice and practical support to address the underemployment of people over 50.
This is of fundamental importance, both to setting older workers up for a better retirement - by enabling them to earn a living and save for retirement for longer – and to an ageing society in which the ratio of younger to older workers is shrinking. One of the main drivers of this research is to address known issues of discrimination experienced by older workers, despite the experience and value they bring to the workplace. The program aims to encourage people to talk about ways in which we can tackle this, which includes giving employers the tools to attract and retain older employees.

This year, working alongside both COTA NSW and Newgate Research, we published our first piece of research on valuing older workers.
Key findings1

74%

 of employers recognise it is important
for the economy to have older people
continue working

33%

 of older workers report experiencing age
discrimination at work, of which 66% did
not report it to their employer

23%

 of employers offer phased retirement,
despite 69% of older workers wanting it

50%

 of employers thought they were doing
enough to support older employees, but only
a minority had any support measures
Community report

The report also looked at some common barriers to change, identifying that employers need support to both help understand existing issues and to plot a path to a more age-diverse workplace.

Based on the research insights, a program and toolkit are being developed for employers focused on:

  • Education and advice for hiring managers;
  • Support to promote age diversity and foster age diverse connections; and
  • Developing training programs to deliver equal access to upskilling and training opportunities.
1) Source: COTA NSW & Challenger report - "Experience, Knowledge and Commitment Valuing Older Workers"

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