Backing All-Age Workforce Campaign

We are backing a Welsh Government all-age workforce campaign - while a 68-year-old who is still climbing electricity poles has no plans to retire.

68-year-old Linesman Les Davies based in Carmarthenshire who is still climbing electricity poles has no plans to retire.

We are backing a Welsh Government campaign to encourage more businesses to hire older workers. We are supporting People Don't Have a Best Before Date, which is challenging age discrimination in recruitment, and equipping business owners with the tools they need to build an all age workforce.

People Don't Have a Best Before Date is encouraging SMEs and larger firms to recruit, retain and retrain older workers, as by 2022 one in three people of working age in Wales will be over the age of 50.

Data shows that the number of workers in Wales aged over 50 has risen by almost a quarter - 24.8% - between 2006 and 2016, while the number of younger workers has fallen - 16-24-year-olds by 10.1%, and 25-49-year-olds by 3% - over the same period.

We employ around 1,000 people across Wales, 342 of whom are aged 50 or over. When you're working with 132,000 volts you need a safe pair of hands, said Sean Sullivan, WPDs Network Services Manager for Wales. You don't get many lifetime jobs any more but this industry has a track record of holding onto people, said Sean who joined the industry in 1983 as apprentice electrical fitter and has worked his way up to senior manager.

We have 16-year-olds working here, and at the other end nobody gets pushed out when they reach 60, said Sean. We also have a 71-year-old driving lorries. We all work as part of a team and there's plenty of support to encourage people to continue working. Our staff are offered flexible working and we have a long association with Age Cymru, and spend millions of pounds training our teams.

We invest just as much in our mature members of staff as we do our youngest recruits,

added Sean, who said older members of staff possessed a range of characteristics like dependability and trustworthiness, and thrive in the industry. They can also teach the younger employees about customer service in what is a high-pressure industry.

As you age in a company like ours, you develop maturity in dealing with people. Our older employees bring a calming influence, which is what you need when you're sometimes dealing with emergency situations. Technology is advancing too and we are developing apps and are working with smart data which needs to be taught. Indeed, much of our on-site training is performed by some of our long serving staff members because they have the knowledge and expertise.

Sean said we continue to attract people of all-ages to what is an exciting and changing industry. We have people joining us later in life who want a change of career - whether they're

ex-military personnel or they're applying for our apprenticeship schemes. We encourage people to develop and we train them to become engineers, managers or whatever they want to be, irrespective of their age. People like 68-year-old Overhead Linesman, Les Davies, are a credit to our company, said Sean.

Les has worked for WPD for 41 years and climbs 12-metre-high wooden poles every day as part of his job. In the recent storms I worked through the night until the early hours, climbing between the lightning. Strong winds can blow trees onto lines and houses lose power so its my job to get it back as quickly as possible, said Les. Some people may think its scary being on the top of a pole with just a waist harness and a head torch in the middle of the night, but Im used to it.

My workmates are roughly 40 years younger than me but they keep me young and my job keeps me fit. We help each other out. Young people are sharp and learn quickly but so can I. I use an iPad for work - it makes life easier. All my joints are excellent, touch wood and everything works. Its a tough job but I love it and Ive never wanted to leave. I love working outside and doing an important job.
 

People Don't Have A Best Before Date, part of the Welsh Government's Age of Investment drive to ensure Wales has the skills it needs to compete in the global marketplace, points out the critical importance of older workers to businesses.

The Welsh Government has teamed up with Ageing Well in Wales, Business in the Community (BiTC) Cymru, Learning and Work Institute, the Older People's Commissioner, Chwarae Teg and Federation for Small Businesses (FSB), TUC and more for the campaign, which seeks to challenge stereotypes of older workers and demonstrate their value in the workplace.

A campaign toolkit on Skills Gateway for Business website offers tips for employers, including providing flexible working arrangements to allow older workers to stay longer, tailoring job roles to lessen physical aspects of the work and including all ages in skills development plans.

Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan, said: Older workers are vital for the future of our economy. Thats why were asking companies to act now and do everything they can to welcome and support people over the age of 50 in the workplace and the job market. Its crucial that businesses don't just allow existing staff to stay on in their roles past 50, but that they are given them the same opportunities for growth and development as younger workers. An all-age workforce is a strong one, for the business and its individual employees, and we can offer plenty of advice and support for any employers who want theirs to become one.

For employers looking for more information on how they can invest in everyone's skills, the Welsh Government's Skills Gateway for Business has a range of advice and guidance.