These and other similar statistics highlight a new situation in the UK's workforce which is also mirrored in many other countries. Unprecedented numbers of older employees will be in work and working longer than either they or their employers anticipated. Some of these people may be happy to do so, continuing to find work interesting, stimulating and developmental. Others may be reluctant workers, in jobs that they now find boring and are working only because their pension provision is inadequate.

These are extremes - the vast majority of older workers fall somewhere in between, but all these people may be facing another 10 to 15 years of work ahead of them. Meanwhile, diminishing numbers of young people are available to fill job vacancies.

For employers, older workers represent a huge pool of potential. In the UK, older workers are more loyal, take less sick leave and have a wealth of experience to draw upon.

We recently conducted research inside 14 organisations, into the issues facing older staff and their employers. This research reveals that most older workers are committed and enthusiastic about their work but frequently feel invisible and unvalued inside organisations, whilst the dominant culture is established by younger people who are receiving more attention and opportunities for development.

Download the full 29 page Fresh Steps research report here.

Download the summary of the research here.

It's for older workers, both women and men, who are aware that they have undeveloped potential, as well as a wealth of experience, to offer their employers and themselves. They may be aware that some of their values, priorities and issues have changed as they've grown older. They want to reassess where they are in life and put together a new strategy for their next 5, 10 or 15 years in work so they can remain (or become) fulfilled and productive in their work.

Fresh Steps' participants come from all walks of life and different levels in their organisations.

The brand new 'Fresh Steps' programme has been developed in response to the issues identified by the research, enabling participants to:

identify their positive attributes as older workers turn their experience into an asset set new goals identify new areas for their own development and training embrace new challenges and changes develop a wider support network of peers renew their motivation and interest in their work present themselves positively actively enjoy their mentoring role to younger colleagues

Fresh Steps enables employers to:

The format of this fresh new programme is a two-day workshop followed by a one-day workshop with essential information-gathering projects in between the workshops.

It is available to run in-house in a venue of your choice, or in an 'Intensive' residential format at our training centre in Devon.

The 'Intensive' format is particularly suitable for trainers wanting to experience the programme before deciding whether to become licensed and for employers wanting to send someone to experience the programme before running it in-house.

If you're a individual wanting to participate in a programme yourself, you have several options:

If you are a trainer, find out about licensing, add this programme to your repertoire and deliver it yourself, after experiencing the 'Intensive' version as a participant. Click on course dates to find out about the 'Intensive's and the trainers licensing courses.