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CHAPTER 14
Realising the potential of older workers in Scotland 279

they were unlikely to, or unsure of whether to, access the services offered.
The main reason given for this was that the service was more tailored to, and
appropriate for, younger people.
The seminar programme proved reasonably successful in linking individuals
with areas of interest that may be of value in the future. However, only 44% of
participants attended at least one of the 13 seminars that took place, with
some attending more than one. This perhaps highlights that work is still
required on finding a successful bridging solution between what the
programme offered and what individuals wanted to move onto despite the
content of seminars being driven by participants themselves.

14.8.3. Uncertainty
Many older adults experience significant barriers that affect participation in
learning and these become more amplified with age. In addition to issues such
as time, cost, perception of relevance and ability, one of the key issues
identified is managing and coping with change in later life. This would appear
to be exacerbated by the current economic situation with many facing
increasing uncertainty around their employment situations.
One of the most significant findings relates to the level of uncertainty many
individuals face when considering the point at which they retire, and the
likelihood of working beyond statutory retirement age. Of participants, 61%
stated that they are likely, or extremely likely, to work beyond retirement age,
which in the UK is currently 65 for men and 60 for women. A further 30% were
not sure whether they will work beyond this point with only 9% unlikely to.

14.8.4. Public sector observations
Two of the 10 groups consisted solely of individuals working in the public
sector. The groups were set up in consultation with union representatives and
human resource managers within the organisations, one from the civil service
and the other a health authority. Both groups took place on the employerʼs
premises and within separate organisations in different parts of Scotland. This
is in contrast to the other eight groups, which took place within the university.
In the civil service, 95% left school with no formal qualifications and entered
straight into employment, compared with 54% of participants in the other eight
groups. These data were not captured for the health authority so no
comparison can be made. Also, 94% of civil service participants had not been
involved in learning for more than 10 years compared with 27% of participants
from the health authority and 64% of the other eight groups. This shows wide
variances and may also be explained by changing legislation that affected