Skill drought pulls in older workers

EXPERIENCE COUNTS: Peter McKenzie is still working and has no plans to stop.PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

Demand for older workers in Tauranga looks likely to increase as employers struggle to find staff with the necessary skills.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dave Burnett said employers could soon be forced to consider hiring staff in their 60s and above as a skills shortage set in.

"I think they are going to come into their own because of the skills shortage and I think we will have to start relying on the older work force to fill the void," he said.

There were also many benefits to employing older staff, he said.

"They can bring a lot of stability, a lot of knowledge. They can be a calming and guiding influence for younger people. I think they have a lot to offer."

1st Call Recruitment managing director Phill van Syp said he was already starting to see the skills shortage come through with a large drop in the number of suitable applicants for jobs.

He often had people close to or beyond retirement age applying for positions and said they were valuable members of the workforce.

"To be honest the older guys have got more skills, a good work ethic and you don't have many problems. They just get on with it," he said.

"Their experience is huge. Most of those tradesmen have learned things the old way and have skills you just can't buy. If they are in a company, they are held on to.

"Usually they are harder working. They are just born in a different era. They didn't get everything for free on a coupon."

Mr van Syp said if people had the necessary skills it came down to who would best fit the team rather than age.

Mitre 10 Mega Tauranga chief executive Wayne Mansell said 16 per cent of his staff were 65 or older.

"We have some gentlemen here working for us in their 70s and late 60s. We employ for fit but we see a lot of those gentlemen, ladies too, have an awful lot of experience they can contribute," he said. "We have ex-plumbers, ex-builders, those sort of people who can add value."

Mr Mansell said his older workers were good at what they did, reliable and were able to help customers find solutions to their DIY challenges.

"It's the knowledge that they bring with them."

Tauranga man Peter McKenzie, 61, still works as a recruitment consultant in the engineering industry and plans to do so until he's "under the ground".

"My best friend is 84 years old and still goes to work every day. That's what keeps him young," he said.

"The older you get, the wiser you get, the more experienced you get and the better I can do my job."

Mr McKenzie said there were many advantages to hiring more mature employees, although in trade industries it was not always possible because they did not have the physical strength or stamina. "The oldest person I have put into work was 72 years old and he would run rings around most 20-year-olds, not by working faster or harder but by working smarter."