Wise Age Ltd – London’s first specialist age and employment charity has been working with a variety of partners and clients to raise the issues of Ageism in the Workplace and solutions available to both over 50s seeking work and employers needing skilled and committed workers.
For the 50+ we have developed a programme of training and support which we deliver through groups and 1-2-1s through a hybrid model of face to face and online presentations backed by our online guides, best practice templates and links.
We have had high levels of client satisfaction and around 45% of registered client s find work ( between 2 and 3 times more effective than basic one size fits all programmes).
The reasons for this are that we focus totally on the over 50s, who learn better and faster in a like minded group of seniors,have an age diverse range of consultants who explain how and ageism in employment is their biggest barrier plus offer the ability to counter the attendant prejudices among employers and recruiters by emphasising the many benefits they bring to a business. We also work at a local level helping clients to navigate the local labour market and to match employers job adverts with tailored applications, and through mock interviews in advance of real ones help clients gain confidence in selling themselves and overcoming classic age prejudices questions. We have found that many clients after dozens of rejections lose confidence and motivation and help overcome these and really ‘sell themselves’ as the answer to the employers’ needs. We are offering an introductory session for half a day to help kick start seniors journey to work on Monday 21st October at the Professional Development Centre, Bethnal green Road from 9.30 to 1pm
We are also offering an introduction to front line staff and managers around how best to engage with and support over 50s clients ( both registered with the DWP and people ineligible for their services but still actively looking and needing work. We have developed an excellent ‘Training the Trainers’ approach which has helped over 75 organisations and their staff to better help over 50s into work. This is aimed to help people working in the DWP with the 50+,, voluntary organisations, and borough 50+ support officers. We will be running this introductory webinar on Wednesday 23rd October between 1pm and 3pm plus we hope to facilitate the beginning of a best practice over 50s support network from this
Finally on November 11th at Oxford House , Bethnal Green we are running an introductory session for employers and age advocates working with employers to help inform employers from different sectors about the benefits that older people and an age diverse workforce can bring an organisation with examples of successful age diverse companies. In addition we will be drawing on our successful presentations to employers to highllight how easy it is to introduce policies, processes and action plans to make their companies age friendly and age diverse as well as how to ensure they are age legislation compliant. As part of this we will be helping people who are age advocates to promote both why, what and how age diversity helps employers and how we can take forward a partnership approach towards promoting older workers back into work.
To book any of these events just contact us saying which event you want to attend or register on the Event Brite links below
1. Monday 21 October from 9.30- 13.30 Employment support for over 50s wanting employment;: an in-person event for clients aged 50+.
EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1047924368997?aff=oddtdtcreator
Venue: Professional Development Centre, 229, Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6AB.
This will be an introductory session for over 50s looking for work, both those registered as Unemployed with the DWP and those who are classified as ‘economically inactive’ not registered with DWP but actively looking for and needing employment or self-employment.
We will draw on our successful experience in highlighting what over-50s , including pensioners, need to do to overcome ageism and be able to match their skills, attributes and experience to an employer’s needs. We will provide concrete examples of where to look for suitable jobs, how to tailor your job applications to emphasise the benefits you bring to employers and increase your confidence and motivation.
2. Wednesday 23 October from 13.00 -15.00 on Zoom: Train the Trainers: for advisers working with 50+ in the voluntary and public sector, including boroughs plus DWP age champions and 50+ work coaches
EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1047930778167?aff=oddtdtcreator
EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/train-the-trainers-tickets-1047930778167?aff=oddtdtcreator
This will take 50+ advisors through best practices which work in helping getting over-50s ready and then able to find a job or self- employment. How best to recruit 50+ clients especially those that are economically inactive, how to address wider equality concerns, and take a client-centred approach to dealing with a variety of related and overlapping problems which can impact on employability. It will also outline the key areas for successful training and support to these clients and their different needs.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88071331082?pwd=JoHc6bqaHISHiPApGWYY4QrnTbhy0O.1
Meeting ID: 880 7133 1082
Passcode: 789784
3. Thursday 31 October from 13.00- 15.00 via Zoom: Final wrap up event for all.
We will be presenting our report on our progress, the ongoing problems needing to be addressed, the key successful approaches and techniques plus a discussion around how we can best work together to develop an age friendly and age diverse employment strategy across London and next steps.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84881674840?pwd=a2jCMHVFzVUoJrRXNScB9qbhjaplZc.1
Meeting ID: 848 8167 4840
Passcode: 245490
4. Wednesday 11th November from 9.30- 13.30: an in-person event for Employers and Age-advocates to employers
EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1049491436137?aff=oddtdtcreator
Venue: The Scott Room. Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, E2 6HG.
Our experts will take you through the benefits that older people and age diversity bring to an organisation and how you can best profit from becoming both age diverse and age friendly. This is aimed at employers from all sectors, particularly those in HR and Personnel as well as Equity and Inclusion staff, plus those working in the DWP, in boroughs or in the wider public or voluntary sectors who are engaging with employers and advocating on behalf of older workers to employers and their networks.
We will develop with you a focused ‘sales pitch’ to use to encourage employers and key staff to overcome negative ageist preconceptions and embrace an age diverse staff.
We will take you through all the policies, processes and practices needed to ensure that you meet the requirements of the age and employment equality legislation and treat all employees with equal consideration
We will then finish with a discussion about how best we can work together in partnership to provide further practical help in implementing this plus how to build cross-sectional networks to build best practice though learning from one another.
To register for any of these sessions please click the links above or contact us at contact@wiseage.org.uk