Reskilling for encore careers for (what were once) retirement years

Encouraging older workers to stay in the workforce has become a policy priority. At the same time, the life expectancy of Australians has increased dramatically over the past several decades, effectively inserting a new stage in the life course, often called the 'third age'. This report explores the possibility of using that third age to embark on an encore career, a concept originating in the US. The author describes the encore career concept and why it might be an attractive alternative to retirement or to continuing in the same job past the traditional age of retirement. Then, drawing on interviews with TAFE institutes and other registered training organisations (RTOs), she discusses how the encore career concept might be enacted in Australia. The author focuses on the role the vocational education and training (VET) sector might play in developing encore careers in Australia, suggesting that, while the VET sector might have a role to play in providing training for encore careers, such training will be difficult to accommodate within the current funding arrangements.

Encouraging older workers to stay in the workforce has become a policy priority. At the same time, the life expectancy of Australians has increased dramatically over the past several decades, effectively inserting a new stage in the life course, often called the 'third age'. This report explores the possibility of using that third age to embark on an encore career, a concept originating in the US. The author describes the encore career concept and why it might be an attractive alternative to retirement or to continuing in the same job past the traditional age of retirement. ...  [+] Show more