On 22 December 2014, the Government announced the roll-out of an ‘older workers’ champion scheme across every part of the UK to tackle age discrimination, from April 2015.
Through the scheme, targeted and intensive support for older jobseekers will be trialled from April 2015 to include:
- a ‘career review’ with a dedicated expert to recognise and champion their transferable skills from previous careers, and to ensure jobseekers get the training needed to fill any skills gaps for a move to a new career
- business-facing regional, Welsh and Scottish ‘older worker’ champions in 7 areas of Great Britain who will focus on going out to smaller and medium-sized businesses to ensure they recognise the benefits of hiring older workers and to tackle outdated stereotypes that they are somehow ‘past it’
- intensive digital support for older jobseekers where individuals identify a skills gap to moving into a new career