(Transcript from World News Radio)
With Australia facing a rapidly-ageing population - a new campaign's been launched to help companies navigate and boost the recruitment of older workers.
The federal government says attitudes towards careers and retirement need to be overhauled, as it helped to launch what's being called the "age management" toolkit.
Helen Isbister has the details.
Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey posed with workers aged in their 50s, 60, 70s and even 80s, while visiting Bunnings Warehouse in the northern Sydney suburb of Chatswood.
Among the workers was 78-year-old Tony Mepperson - who works at the front of the store, greeting and assisting customers.
"The people 50 over really do find it hard, because somehow that's the age where you're no longer required. But not for Bunnings. They want people with experience."
Treasurer Hockey was at Bunnings to help launch the new online "toolkit" - designed to take employers step-by-step through the process of recruiting, retaining and making the most of older workers.
He says stereotypes of people studying in their youth, working hard in a career and retiring at 65 no longer apply in Australia.
"We've got to change attitudes - people over the age of 50 who lose their jobs are inevitably, at the moment, going to spend a longer period of time out of work than someone who is younger. It's simply about changing the attitudes of employers.We also don't need to stereotype our moments in life.
Michael O'Neill is the Chief Executive of National Seniors - an over-50s lobby group which produced the toolkit.
He says the message that came through loud and clear in conversations with businesses was that they didn't know how to deal with mature-age workers.
He explains the features of the toolkit - which will be promoted to businesses across the country.
"So focusing on how you find them, how you recruit them - understanding what's important in your workplace for an older worker and vice versa, through to how you're able to retain them through flexibility, perhaps they might require, through then to managing the contribution they make - the opportunities for them to be mentors ."
Michael O'Neill says some industries are more suited than others to the recruitment of older workers.
"I think customer service ones are an obvious one - retail, hospitality - part of hospitality - obviously opportunities there .. through to some of the health services areas, so hospitals and aged care. Generally where experience can make a difference and good customer relations."
The number of Australians aged over 50 is rising rapidly.
In 2013, there were seven-and-a-half-million people aged 50 plus.
By 2031, that figure is expected to grow 46 per cent, to more than 11 million people.
There's also an increased expectation to work longer, with the federal government having flagged an increase to the pension age to 70 by 2035.
The launch of the Age Management toolkit comes ahead of the unveiling of the fourth Intergenerational Report.
Previous reports have modelled the impact of demographic change on productivity and prompted government calls for increased workforce participation.
Treasurer Joe Hockey has warned of a huge task ahead.
"There is more to be done. And when we release the intergenerational report in the next few weeks - that will clearly illustrate that Australia needs more workers, but importantly it's good for Australia and it's good for individual australians that if they want to work, they can work."
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