Mature Age Workers FAQ's

1. I am a mature age job seeker looking to retrain or upgrade an existing qualification. What assistance is currently available to me?
2. I am a mature age job seeker in receipt of income support. What assistance is currently available to me?
3. I am a mature age job seeker not in receipt of income support. What assistance is currently available to me?
4. I want to start my own business. What assistance is currently available to mature age people?
5. I am an Age Pensioner who wants to return to work. What assistance is available to me?
6. How do I find information on mature age apprenticeships?
7. I am living outside Australia, what resources are available to help a mature age person find work in Australia?

Employers FAQ's

8. What are the benefits of employing mature age job seekers?
9. What are age positive employers?
10. Where can I advertise a job vacancy?

General FAQ's

11. Can I obtain publications from Jobwise?

Mature Age Workers FAQ's

1. I am a mature age job seeker looking to retrain or upgrade an existing qualification. What assistance is currently available to me?

The Productivity Places Program is part of the Australian Government’s Skilling Australia for the future initiative. The Program provides training places in skills and occupations that employers are seeking and is designed to help job seekers secure long term employment.

The training is delivered by training organisations and job seekers can gain a new qualification or upgrade an existing qualification.

To be eligible for a training place, you need to be currently looking for work. You also need to be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia and be over the age of 15. Some other eligibility criteria apply, this is available from your local training organisation or employment service provider.

A range of qualifications are now available at the Certificate II or Certificate III levels with higher level qualifications available from 1 July 2008.

Further information on the types of courses available and the application process is available at the Productivity Places Program website.

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2. I am a mature age job seeker in receipt of income support. What assistance is currently available to me?

A range of employment services and initiatives through employment service providers are available to help mature age job seekers move back into employment. Job Network is a national network of community and private organisations which provides assistance for job seekers. Two key services are delivered by all Job Network members: Job Search Support and Intensive Support.

The Job Search Support service is available to all job seekers immediately upon registration by Centrelink or a Job Network member, and continues until the job seeker leaves employment services. Generally, if a job seeker has not found work within the first three months of Job Search Support, their Job Network member arranges for them to participate in Intensive Support. However, mature age job seekers have early access to Intensive Support job search training. Intensive Support provides one-to-one assistance to eligible job seekers to address barriers to employment. Intensive Support job search training is the first element of Intensive Support and is designed to assist job seekers build up job search skills.

Centrelink undertakes the registration, assessment and referral of job seekers to Job Network members. For further information about Centrelink and other services you may be eligible for, you can visit its website or call 13 10 21.

Job seekers who have been unemployed for at least 12 months or are identified by Centrelink as being highly disadvantaged at registration receive Intensive Support customised assistance. Examples of Intensive Support customised assistance activities include training, vocational programs, counselling, wage subsidy and work experience. For information about Job Network, you can visit Workplace .

The Australian Government also funds employment and related services for people with disability. The three major providers are Job Network, Disability Employment Network and Vocational Rehabilitation Services. For more information about these services, please visit JobAccess .

All job seekers can also access information on employment opportunities by visiting Australian JobSearch . JobSearch is one of Australia’s largest online employment websites, averaging around 53,000 vacancies every day. JobSearch delivers services to job seekers at no charge. Some of the key features of JobSearch include:

• Resumes - job seekers can add up to five resumes on JobSearch, which can be viewed by potential employers;
• Australian Training - a directory of vocational course information for education and training opportunities; and
• Auto Matching - job seekers who register with JobSearch will have their resume auto matched against new vacancies that appear on the website.

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3. I am a mature age job seeker not in receipt of income support.  What assistance is currently available to me?

The Government offers a range of employment services to help mature age job seekers move back into employment.

Job Network offers a range of services for job seekers, including access to information on available job vacancies and referrals to employers. Access to the different levels and types of Job Network assistance is based on the particular circumstances of the individual job seeker. If you are mature age (45+), there are a number of services that you may be eligible for. For example, through Job Search Support, a Job Network member will provide you with advice on job search techniques, career options and employment programs. You can find out more about the services for which you may be eligible by contacting the Job Seeker Hotline on 13 62 68.

You can access information about employment opportunities in your area by visiting Australian JobSearch . JobSearch is one of Australia’s largest online employment websites, averaging 53,000 vacancies every day. JobSearch has a suite of services that are delivered to the job seeker at no charge. Jobsearch includes the capacity to upload your resume, access information on training as well as an auto-matching service where resume auto matched against new vacancies that appear on the website.

Canvassing recruitment firms is also an option that is available to job seekers. The simplest way to find recruitment firms is to visit the Yellow Pages Online  and search ‘recruitment’. This will provide you with contact information for authorised recruitment agencies. See our Recruitment Companies page for a list of mature age friendly recruitment agencies.

Volunteering can be an excellent transition into paid employment, and it provides job seekers with the opportunity to maintain their skills while they look for paid employment, contribute to the community and possibly re-skill into a new sector or role. For further information, you can visit Australian VolunteerSearch  or Volunteering Australia .

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4. I want to start my own business. What assistance is currently available to mature age people?

The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) helps eligible unemployed people to start and run their new, viable small business. NEIS provides training in small business management and business skills, and business plan development.

To participate in NEIS you must be either a Fully Job Network Eligible job seeker or a Non-Allowee Mature Age job seeker.

Fully Job Network Eligible job seekers must be in receipt of a NEIS-eligible income support allowance (this does not include the Age Pension) and meet the personal and business eligibility requirements.

Mature age job seekers must be aged 50 years or over, not on income support, and able to demonstrate a capacity to be financially self-sufficient during the period of NEIS Assistance. Mature age job seekers are required to meet all NEIS personal and business eligibility requirements.

The Indigenous Capital Assistance Scheme  increases employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians by giving Indigenous businesses access to commercial finance, and culturally appropriate professional and mentoring support services. For more information call 1802 102.

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5. I am an Age Pensioner who wants to return to work.  What assistance is available to me?

Employment Service for Age Pensioners is designed to help Age Pensioners who wish to voluntarily return to work on a full-time or part-time basis. Employment Service for Age Pensioners is delivered through Job Network and includes Employment Preparation and Job Search Training services.

Age Pensioners undertaking Employment Service remain on the Age Pension.

People who are interested in participating in Employment Service for Age Pensioners can contact their local Job Network organisation, or telephone 13 62 68 for information on provider locations. A referral from Centrelink to Job Network is not required.

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6. How do I find information on mature age apprenticeships?

Australian Apprenticeships  is a national initiative that involves the Australian Government, State and Territory Governments and Registered Training Organisations. Australian Apprenticeships combine training and employment and lead to a nationally recognised qualification. They are available to anyone of working age and do not require any entry qualifications. You can be a school-leaver, re-entering the workforce or simply wishing to change careers. Australian Apprenticeships are available in a variety of certificate levels in more than 500 occupations across Australia, in traditional trades, as well as a diverse range of emerging careers in most sectors of business and industry.

Under the Mature Age Worker Incentive Scheme , an employer of a mature age worker may attract a special $750 Mature Aged Worker Commencement Incentive and an $750 Mature Aged Worker Completion Incentive.

The Australian Apprenticeships Access Program  (the Access Program) provides job seekers with pre vocational training, support and assistance to obtain and maintain an Australian Apprenticeship. The priority of the Access Program is to obtain Australian Apprenticeship outcomes. Other secondary outcomes are employment and further education or training. The training provided through the Access Program is nationally recognised under the Australian Quality Training Framework, is based on labour market needs, and is linked to an Australian Apprenticeship pathway.

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7. I am living outside Australia, what resources are available to help a mature age person find work in Australia?

You can get information about working in Australia from the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

You can access information about the employment opportunities in the different states and territories of Australia by visiting Australian JobSearch . JobSearch is one of Australia's largest online employment websites.

You may also be interested in visiting the Workplace migrant section that contains information for migrants about obtaining work in Australia.

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Employers FAQ's

8. What are the benefits of employing mature age job seekers?

Various studies have demonstrated that mature age workers add extra value to their organisations.  The benefits of employing mature age workers include:

• Client empathy.  Mature age workers will increasingly match the client profile of customer-focussed businesses as Australia's population ages.
• Loyalty.  Mature age workers are loyal to their employers, remaining with their current employer 2.4 times longer than younger workers (Critchley 2004).
• Adaptability.  Mature age workers can be more adaptable to new conditions than younger employees and often initiate workplace changes.
• Capacity to learn.  Mature age workers have as much desire to learn and experience new things as their younger co-workers.  For example, people over the age of 55 years are the fastest growing Internet user segment in Australia.
• Lower levels of absenteeism.  The accumulated experience of mature age workers allows them to have a reduced risk of accident-related injuries and lower levels of absenteeism due to sickness.
• Organisational knowledge.  Mature age workers’ corporate knowledge reflects an organisation’s learning, and their role in mentoring younger workers and transferring that knowledge may be critical to business sustainability.
• Quality work.  Mature age workers deliver higher quality performance, which encourages younger employees to improve.
• Flexibility.  Mature age workers are often more flexible with their working hours and conditions, and they have good coping skills when working arrangements and situations change.
• Commitment.  Most studies have found that mature age workers tend to be committed to their organisations and have high morale and positive feelings about their jobs.

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9. What are age positive employers?

Age positive employers have workplace practices that accommodate the personal needs of their staff as well as the business needs of the organisation.  These practices might include:

• plans or policies to manage an ageing workforce, eg phased retirement, mentoring, succession plans;
• mature age friendly recruitment practices, eg advertising to attract mature age applicants, age friendly selection processes, induction programs;
• mature age friendly retention practices, eg redeployment options, training and development for part time and casual staff, rewards and recognition program;
• flexible work practices, eg part-time opportunities, job-sharing, teleworking (from home);
• flexible working hours, eg variable start/finish times, hours bank, matching working hours to seasonal demands; 
• flexible leave options, eg carer's leave, purchased annual leave, volunteering leave, sabbaticals, job swap;
• assisting employees to maintain a healthy work/life balance; and
• a return-to-work pool for former employees.

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10. Where can I advertise a job vacancy?

The Jobwise website does not provide recruitment or job placement services, nor does it directly advertise jobs.

If you wish to advertise a job, we suggest that you post your vacancy on the JobSearch website.  JobSearch is Australia’s largest free online employment website, and it has a suite of services that are delivered to employers, recruitment agencies, Job Network members and job seekers at no charge.  Some of the features of JobSearch include:

• Advertise a job - JobSearch gets over 9 million page accesses every week.
• Job Match - Instantly when you list your vacancy.
• Find Staff - Search through 600,000 active resumes online.
• Personal Page - Your own JobSearch page where you can update your details, view or copy all of your previous JobSearch jobs.

Additionally, Job Network service providers compete to help match job seekers to your vacancies, list your vacancies on JobSearch and choose the best applicants for you.  They can put together a package of employment incentives, which could include work experience placements , training and other support.  Job Network is a no-fee recruitment service with a national network of over 1000 independent recruitment offices.  Employers deal with a local team and receive specialised recruitment services.

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General FAQ's

11. Can I obtain publications from Jobwise?

Yes. Jobwise has a number of publications that can be made available upon request. Publications are available on the Publications page.

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