At 54, Dan Johns wanted to find his future, and he decided it would be in renewable energy.
He'd spent nine years in the same role as leader of construction and engineering insurance for insurer RSA in Toronto, and was ready for a change. Captivated by the green movement himself, he also saw a niche the company had not yet tapped and felt there was opportunity for both to benefit.
But nobody at the company was approaching him to do anything different - and, he says, "you always have the question they might not think it's worth the investment at my age."
So Mr. Johns took his future into his own hands. He put together a business plan, making the case that renewable energy was a developing specialty the company should get involved in insuring - and asking his employer to cover the costs of a series of technical courses that would help turn him into the company expert.
When he presented his plan to the executive team two years ago, he got approval on the spot, he says. "The company was extremely supportive, because they could see the advantage for me and for them," says Mr. Johns, now 56.
Not every older employee is getting that level of development support these days. At a time when organizations will need the help of experienced staff to recover from the recession, mature workers are still being considered expendable when training dollars are allocated, according to a recent survey of 218 employers by the Conference Board of Canada.
With belts still being tightened, 51 per cent of companies are slashing their training and development budgets this year, the survey found. Moreover, it warned that mature staff will face the cuts more than younger employees.
Just 25 per cent of the companies said they have ongoing programs to help mature workers improve their skills. That compares with two-thirds that are providing ongoing training for younger employees.
But career experts say the notion that it's not worth teaching old employees new tricks is outdated. As employers are giving older employees short shrift on training and development, 50-plus workers need to take the initiative to get what they want or need, experts say.
"In almost every discussion of training these days, companies raise the issue of the value of training workers over 50," says Jocelyn Bérard, executive vice-president of leadership for Nexient Learning Inc. in Toronto. "They say, 'Wait a minute, this person may retire in a couple of years, while a younger person will probably be here at least 10 years.' "
But that's old thinking, he says. With retirement no longer mandatory at 65 in most of Canada, and people living longer and healthier lives, many older workers still want to continue to grow and contribute. And this economy has made many more mature workers want to stay on the job.
While employers may pay lip service to treating all workers equally, the fact is that many still believe in the stereotypes that older workers are set in their ways, says Barbara Jaworski, chief executive officer of the Workplace Institute, a human-resources consultancy based in Ottawa.
"Most employers believe elder people are resistant to change and difficult to train. But those are both myths," she says.
"Research shows that older workers are keen to learn, and are as capable as their younger counterparts when it comes to grasping new skills. They love the challenges that come with mastering new tricks."
Moreover, "older workers may actually be a better long-term investment for employers because they may be more likely to remain loyal to an employer who invests in their development than younger employees," who have more options to jump to another job, Ms. Jaworski says.
Employers will respond to mature workers who can make the case that keeping their skills sharp will also keep the organization on the cutting edge, says Carl Lovas, managing partner of the Toronto office of recruiter Odgers Berndtson.
