The changes in the composition of the labor force and the changing personal needs of older people are creating powerful incentives for them to remain in or reenter the work force. For many, this will mean job training or retraining. Training for older workers is provided through both private companies and publicly funded programs such as the Job Training Partnership Act and the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Surveys show that older employees receive a smaller share of on-the-job training and outside courses than do younger workers. Eligibility requirements also restrict the numbers of midlife and older persons who participate in publicly funded programs. Two issues influence the low participation rate: older workers' trainability and the economic payoffs from training. Although employers rate older workers highly in terms of dependability, loyalty, and commitment, they are less positive about their ability to learn new skills. They also question whether the individual will stay on the job long enough to make training pay off. Older adults themselves often accept these negative stereotypes. However, both research and practice show that deterioration of cognitive processes is by no means universal. Some studies have shown that older workers can adjust to new technology, can perform nearly as well as younger counterparts, and stay on the job longer, improving the return on investment in their training. As more older individuals continue to have successful experiences in training and in the work force, these issues and negative stereotypes will dissipate. (SK)
Authors
- Authorizing Institution
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, Columbus, OH.
- Peer Reviewed
- F
- Publication Type
- ['ERIC Publications', 'ERIC Digests in Full Text']
- Published in
- United States of America
- Sponsor
- Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Table of Contents
- Older Worker Training An Overview. ERIC Digest No. 114. PROGRAMS AND PROVIDERS ISSUES RELATED TO TRAINING OLDER WORKERS RESPONSES FROM RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 1
- ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC 1
- 1987. 2
- 65 Rix 1990. 3
- 10 percent believed that older workers were comfortable with new technologies American Association of Retired Persons 1986. In another survey personnel 3
- Employers are also likely to invest less in training older workers because they question costs OTA 1990 Sheppard and Rix 1989 4
- Unfortunately older adults themselves have been influenced by these issues causing 4
- 1990. 4
- Undoubtedly as more older individuals continue to have successful experiences in both 5
- 1989 5
- Washington DC AARP 1986. ED 284 059. 5
- Hale N. The Older Worker. San Francisco CA Jossey-Bass 1990. 5
- 1987. ED 290 887. 5
- Merriam S. B. and Caffarella R. Learning in Adulthood. San Francisco CA Jossey-Bass 1991. 5
- Spring 1989 27-30. 5
- Economy. Washington DC OTA September 1990. ED 326 622. 5
- Rix S. E. Older Workers. Santa Barbara CA ABC-CLIO 1990. 6
- Rothstein F. B. Continuing to Work JTPA and the Older Worker. Washington DC National Association of Counties May 1989. ED 309 259. 6
- 1989. ED 308 287. 6
- Department. Digests may be freely reproduced. 6
- 071 Information Analyses---ERIC Digests Selected in Full Text 073 6
- Return to ERIC Digest Search Page 6
