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29 and a graduate?- Sorry, too old 7 September 1998 Today, Monday 7 September, the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) join forces to investigate further hidden ageism in the UK. This type of ageism can hit people as young as 29 and has serious business and social implications. It is ageism against new mature graduates. Over the last decade the number of mature graduates has increased dramatically - today more than 1 in 7 graduates is aged 26 or over. However, the EFA and AGCAS have found evidence to suggest that many employers are failing to change their graduate recruitment practices to reflect this. Helen Garner, Campaign Director of the EFA, comments: 'We have been alarmed by the increase in mature graduates contacting us to say they are finding problems with employment. From a business perspective, it is clear that some employers are rejecting a potentially rich pool of labour. But from a personal perspective, some individuals are being led to believe that they are 'over the hill' by the time they are 29 – that's damaging for society as a whole'. Some employers are already making a difference. Leading employers, including Littlewoods, Royal Bank of Scotland and Towers Perrin, operate graduate schemes without age limits and have made positive steps to encourage applicants of all ages. The EFA and the AGCAS are today calling on all employers to follow suit. 'In our experience this form of ageism is buried quite deep in the psyche of some graduate recruiters,' says Lawrence Wilson of AGCAS. 'Even if there are no formal age limits, some employers have a traditional image of who is suitable for graduate entry schemes. It has never been more important for mature graduates to be aware of the reality of a competitive labour market and learn how to market themselves, and their skills, effectively'. Suzanne Lockyer contacted the EFA when she experienced ageism at first hand, she comments, 'When I graduated at the age of 31 I was told by many employers that they had an age limit for graduate trainees of 25! Mature graduates have a particularly hard time - they can be very successful students yet are forced to take clerical work and often end up working for young graduates. Just imagine what that feels like. The period after University was very depressing, at times I felt like giving up work altogether. However, I still have some fight left and am now embarking on an MSc which I see as a new opportunity'. The graduate recruitment campaign marks the first of a series of activities by the Employers Forum on Age to highlight ageism against younger, as well as older, workers. Recent government initiatives have served to highlight ageism at work, but there is a natural assumption that those affected are older workers. The EFA is one of the key consultation bodies involved in the development of the Government's Code of Practice on Age Discrimination. The EFA is working to ensure that all action encourages a mixed-age workforce, ageism is not an issue for older workers alone. In a further bid to assess the action to combat ageism against mature graduates, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services has commissioned a study on good employment practice amongst graduate recruiters which is due for release in June 1999. Meanwhile, the latest wave of mature graduates to enter the labour market is encouraged to market themselves and their experience tenaciously to overcome potential employer prejudice. Concerned mature graduates can obtain a useful 'Ten Tips For Mature Graduates' fact-sheet from the AGCAS by calling Tel: 01227 782 285 or writing to Lawrence Wilson with an SAE – Careers Service, Canterbury Christ Church College, University of Canterbury Kent, CT1 1QU. back to the archive |
