Age UK Tameside attends the APPG at The House of Lords

Recently we were delighted to invite representatives from Age UK National to our Centre in Tameside, to attend a Q&A session we hosted with Labour MP Angela Rayner. During the event our colleagues from the National Office met with our Employability Coach Jennifer Simpson, who delivers our successful Next Steps Employability Programme. After hearing about the positive impact this Programme has had in our community, we were invited to attend an APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) meeting focusing on ‘Older People and Work’ at the House of Lords. We were asked to speak about our experiences and take part in a Q&A session with the public and MPs. 

Since the Pandemic, many workers aged 50+ have left the labour force due to retirement or long-term sickness. There are now currently more than a quarter of a million additional economically inactive 50–64-year-olds than there were before the Pandemic.

Many older people would like to work, but they are struggling to either find employment or are facing barriers to staying in workplace. Whilst there is legislation in progress to tackle some of the root causes of these issues, both Government and employers still have a role to play in ensuring that older workers can stay in and find work when needed.

During the meeting, the panel addressed the following questions:

• What does the labour market tell us about older workers?
• What are the reasons why older people might choose to return to work?
• What are the barriers to older people returning to work?
• How can Government and employers support older people currently in the workplace or when returning to work?
• What is the experience of older people who are looking for work?

The first speaker, Bee Boileau, a Research Economist with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, gave an overview of the labour market for people aged over 50 with a post-pandemic context. Emily Andrews, the Deputy Director for Work, Centre for Aging Better, then spoke about the issues older people are facing when remaining in or returning to work, and what the Government and employers could do to support them. Next, Age UK Tameside’s Employability Coach, Jennifer Simpson, spoke about the Next Steps Employability Programme and the experiences that she is hearing about from our service users.

Jennifer was able to share about the many successes of our Programme, highlighting the benefits of adapting pace and providing face-to-face learning to ensure a valuable experience for our Service Users. She also discussed the barriers that our Service Users face when trying to re-enter the labour market. Another member of our team who attended, Dawn Linnie, the Advice & Support Services Coordinator, answered relevant questions about the service and how it benefits those over 50 living in Tameside.

Accompanying Jennifer and Dawn to the House of Lord’s was Jacqueline Combs, a Next Step’s Employability Programme Service User who was asked to share about her lived experiences of looking for work and taking part in our Programme. Jacqueline bravely delivered a heartfelt speech about her difficult lived experiences over the last 15 years, receiving an applause of gratitude from fellow attendees. Speaking of the event Jacqueline said, “It was nice to hear what others were experiencing as well, as I know I’m not on my own. I felt that Baroness Altmann (CBE, Chair of the meeting) reiterated my lived experience to the room and made me feel validated in the issues I have faced. This was a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity to put across my experiences and the advantages of the Age UK Tameside Next Steps Employability Programme. The whole experience has been very empowering and such a boost to my self-esteem.”

Following this vital discussion, Age UK Tameside has some further ideas on how to improve the reach of the Next Steps Programme, and we are looking at how we can partner with others such as the Centre for Aging Better to better connect our Service Users with employers and other service providers. Watch this space!