09 DEC 2024
06:00PM-07:15PM GMT
RSA House & Online
The UK Labour Market is Facing a Wake-Up Call...
Too many vacancies, not enough applicants. This persistent talent gap is stalling productivity, pushing up wages, and straining critical services across healthcare, retail, and beyond. And with our workforce ageing, the urgency to adapt is clear—but are we?
Current research reveals that workers over 50 are being rejected from key roles across the country, with discrimination and bias from employers and recruiters often endemic. Over 1 million people aged 50+ across the UK want to work but are unemployed.
Could the solution lie in more age-inclusive hiring to attract and retain skilled older workers?
The Royal Society for the Arts’ Economy & Business Network (EBN) is stepping up with a series of meetings to address this head-on, convening leaders from business and civil society to dig into the impact of demographic shifts on the labour market. Together, we’re asking what “good” looks like for preparing for an ageing workforce.
At our first session on September 11, we discussed Multigenerational Working and Mapping the Way Forward (see attached appendix for a summary of the discussion). The key actions coming from this meeting were to work with corporate leaders to build the business case for age inclusion. Our goal is to shift the conversation beyond diversity, equity, and inclusion and position age inclusion as a strategic business imperative.
Now, we’re ready to tackle a major barrier: The Cost of Workplace Ageism
Join us on December 9 at RSA House as we dive into this critical topic with an expert panel, including:
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Shruti Singh, Senior Economist on Ageing and Employment Policies, OECD
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Simon Fanshawe OBE, Diversity consultant, broadcaster and Author
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Rosisin Mackenzie, Chief People Officer Saga
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Lucy Standing FRSA, Founder, Brave Starts
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Mike Mansfield FRSA, CEO, ProAge
This RSA event is in collaboration with the OECD to launch their new report, Promoting Better Career Mobility for Longer Working Lives in the United Kingdom. The report highlights the key challenges faced by older workers in the UK labour market and outlines essential public and employer policies that can facilitate career mobility at older ages.