In Australia, there are around 4.5 million people aged 45 years and older in employment, making up 39 per cent of the entire workforce. This is no doubt a hugely substantial talent pool, leading employers dipping into it to hire a mature-age apprentice.
This is according to the federal government’s Australian Jobs 2015 report, which also explained exactly how many were in on-the-job training programs.
Getting Started with Mature-Age Apprenticeships
“In 2013, large numbers of people aged 50 years or older were enrolled in post-school education,” the report read. “The vast majority (more than 250,000) were in vocational education and training (VET).”
If you’re considering hiring a mature-age apprentice, there are plenty of benefits to doing so, including diversifying your workforce and injecting some useful experience into the team. Apprenticeship Central has a huge range of support material to help you get started. Simply register as an employer in minutes to take a closer look.
You may be wondering how many mature-age workers are employed in your industry, and which sectors are the biggest recruiters for this experienced demographic. The Australian Jobs 2015 report also shone a light on this.
Top Industries for Mature-Age Apprentices
1) Health care and social assistance
It’s no secret that Australia’s population is ageing rapidly, putting a strain on health and aged-care services. This is a major factor in why the industry has turned to mature workers to provide some much-needed general experience and skills.
Around 634,000 of the workforce are mature-age, making up 14 per cent of all employees.
2) Education and training
The ability to mentor and train others is an advantage many mature-age workers hold. The education and training sectors employ 439,700 from this older demographic, who make up 9.7 per cent.
In terms of apprenticeship programs, an entry-level, mature-age recruit can quickly become a mentor once their training is complete.
3) Manufacturing
Just beating construction to the third spot, manufacturing companies are devout supporters of mature workers, with their professionalism favoured in what is a safety-conscious industry.
Manufacturers employ 398,500 workers over the age of 45, with 8.8 per cent of the workforce in this category.
Looking further afield
It’s important to remember that this is not an exhaustive list; mature-age workers have apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities in virtually every sector. In fact, the biggest employer of senior workers by some margin is “other”, with 22.1 per cent being of mature-age – a testament to how many industries they work in.
“In view of Australia’s ageing population, the participation of older workers is crucial to the labour market,” the government report concluded, which begs the question: Does your company need a mature-age apprentice?
