The Australian Computer Society's taskforce on age discrimination is preparing a comprehensive report on ageism, exploring the contributing factors, costs and possible solutions.
Anecdotal evidence suggests ageism is rife in the ICT sector, with the latest ACS employment report revealing that more than 20 per cent of Australian ICT professionals have experienced age-related discrimination while more than 30 per cent of senior ICT professionals remain unemployed.
It's a global issue, with the US, Britain and Europe all reporting low participation levels for mature-age professionals in the ICT sectors. Australia's Commissioner for Age Discrimination, Elizabeth Broderick, claims that age discrimination in recruitment and employment practices is "pervasive, systemic, invisible and accepted".
With the government looking to labour productivity growth to offset the negative impacts of an ageing workforce, our reliance on technology can only increase. This scenario requires a stable and growing ICT workforce to provide the skills and technology solutions capable of delivering the desired productivity gains.
The ACS supports Commissioner Broderick's call for education and legislative reforms to address current attitudes and recruitment practices.
Contrary to popular opinion, there is significant research to prove that there is a complex relationship between age and productivity, with any deterioration in functional areas like vision and speed of reactions offset by gains in experience, caution, wisdom and leadership skills. One study by Brosi and Kleiner (1999) showed that older workers were generally more productive because of their higher levels of organisational commitment and loyalty.
With skills gaps growing as demand for ICT professionals continues to rise, the ICT sector, and Australia as a whole, cannot afford to allow short-sighted attitudes to the age of its workers.
The ACS taskforce will report its recommendations later this year, and the ACS favours a comprehensive education campaign to address the issue. We also suggest an early start to looking at strategies that will combat ageism in the recruiting process. These could include: designing job advertisements to reach the broadest possible audience; encouraging applications from people of all ages; ensuring interview panels include a diverse range of age groups and conducting recruitment and employment audits to ensure ethical procedures are followed.
Anthony Wong is ACS president and chief executive of AGW Consulting, a multidisciplinary ICT, intellectual property legal and consulting practice.
Source: The Australian
