Baby boomers looking to move jobs

Almost two in three baby-boomer employees are dissatisfied with their present jobs, but feel they're too old or lack the skills to find better work, a survey has found.

A national Re Generation survey of 860 Australian workers found that more than half those aged between 45 and 64 felt others regarded themselves as out of date with technology.

The survey found about 33 per cent of older workers felt they couldn't get a better job because they lacked the necessary qualifications. A further 30 per cent felt they were too old.
Older workers also revealed that they felt the skills they had picked up through life experience were not valued in the workplace. About 75 per cent of baby boomers thought raising children went unrecognised as a skill, while 73 per cent felt life experience and volunteer work were undervalued.

And the results weren't limited to older workers. The survey also found about 33 per cent of workers aged between 18 and 44 felt they couldn't find a good job because they lacked the formal qualifications needed.

Noel Jones, co-founder of the skills-advertising company Re Generation, commissioned the survey to prove people's varied skill sets were going unnoticed by employers. "We started this a couple of years ago after numerous discussions with people, especially in the 45 and older bracket,'' Jones says. "The thing about individual skills is that they're unique. No two people have the same skill set. "What our findings mean is that there's a need for people to have their skills valued by the community and by society.''

Jones and his business partner, Peter Landis, started Re Generation to help retired people and those seeking work to advertise their various skills -- whether work-related or gained from life experience -- to potential employers. Employers can view the website and match skill sets to vacant positions.

Noel Jones says the skills shortage in Australia means it's particularly important to look at an individual's entire experience and any possible skills they might have. "Some people may be retired, but don't necessarily wish to be, so they can have their skills advertised if they'd like,'' he says. "The thing is, we need to look at how we utilise skills in this country.''

The Sunday Telegraph.