ACS launches fight against ageism in ICT

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called for a national strategy from the Australian Human Rights Commission to fight ageism in the Australian ICT workforce.

The Improving Age Diversity in the ICT Workforce report released by the ACS Ageism Taskforce this week attacked ageism in the ICT workforce, defending older ICT workers against "deeply ingrained" notions in business culture that those over 45 are "washed up" and unnecessary to train. The report also outlined seven recommendations it believes would help to curb ageism within employment, including further funding from the Federal Government for the national human rights commission, and a national strategy with an aim to address age discrimination.

The average age for an Australian ICT worker is 39, according to the report, compared to 44 in Germany. Those over 45 were more likely to make up the majority of the unemployed workforce, while the report found 25 to 35 was the peak age for ICT employment locally.

Older workers were found to be subject to ageism in the form of unemployment, or considered to have an obsolescent skill set. Globalisation was increasingly a factor too, with younger employees favoured for their ability to move to other countries easily.

However, the report argued that older workers were more valuable in the long term, due to their likelihood to stay in a job longer. Job mobility in the 20-24 age group was 25 per cent of those workers according to the report, compared to five per cent of those aged 55 to 69.

Nevertheless, the report found those over a certain age were often relegated to part-time or casual employment, in what was seen as transitional period out of the workforce.

“Ageism is a growing reality in Australia - but so is an increasing awareness that workers 45 years and older represent a resource and knowledge base we need to continue to reinvest in," ACS chief executive officer, Bruce Lakin, said in a statement.   “With reported skill shortages within the Australian ICT sector, the underemployment of older workers is a problem which demands significant focus," he added.

Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, shared similar sentiments at the release of the 2010 Intergenerational Report about the wider workforce.

“As the percentage of the population in the workforce shrinks, we simply cannot afford to waste the potential of older Australians,” he said.

“Australia has a lower rate of mature-age workforce participation than the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand - there is considerable room for improvement."

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicate that 152,700 of those aged 45 to 54 were unemployed in May this year; second to those aged 15 to 24.

Other recommendations in the ACS report include:

• The partnering of government, industry and professional associations to study the extent of ageism
• The development of a government policy quantify impacts of ageism and economic benefits for employing older workers
• A wider taskforce set up by the ICT industry to address age discrimination and develop practical solution
• The developing of a self-regulatory code of practice and ethical statement on addressing ageism and improving age diversity
• Government and industry funding for an education campaign to combat against cultural attitudes towards discrimination
• The development of policy, regulatory and taxation incentives from government to encourage age diversity

  The taskforce was initially set up last year in wake of damning results from the 2009 Australian Computer Society ICT Employment Survey, which indicated that up to 20 per cent of workers experience age discrimination in the workforce, and that peak employment occurred below the 25 year age mark.

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