Tackling rising unemployment and underemployment rather than combating skill shortages will be the principal mature age employment policy challenge facing government and the wider community over the next few years.

Once the current downturn ends and economic growth resumes, skill shortages arising from an ageing workforce will emerge.

It is vitally important that we don’t lose sight of this reality in seeking to re-design employment policy and programs to respond to rising unemployment.

Ensuring that mature age people are engaged in meaningful employment and training and have access to a decent incomes will help ensure that we have a workforce ready for the major demographic challenges that confront us with great intensity in five years time.

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