An Education & Government Update

Over the past five years, the demographics of the Australian population hav radically changed. Australia now has an ageing population, and as Baby Boomers leave the workforce they are also leaving some considerable knowledge and experience gaps.

Baby boomers are those born after World War 2 and are in the 55-65 age group.  While the Government has recently started to encourage people to remain in the workforce until at least age 65, the fact remains that for the last 20 years people over 50 years of age have been regarded as past their prime and often retrenched. Coupled with this has been a declining birth rate which has reduced the pipeline of job seekers.

Add to this the trend of the last 20 years, with an increasing number of VCE students opting for tertiary education rather than trades training. Generation Y are the first generation to experience mass higher education.

So looking forward, Australia has a growing number of retirees who, in part, will rely on a reduced workforce to support the economy.

What all of this means for our industry is that we must work hard now to plug the experience holes with younger candidates who will later help to facilitate the transition from the Baby Boomers to the Gen X, Y and Zs.

Vivianne Nikou
General Manager, Education & Government