§ Rev. William McCreaTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what special provision is being made for the employment of older workers in the Province. [12579]
§ Mr. AncramResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Ian Walters to Rev. William McCrea, dated 6 February 1996:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency to reply to your question about the employment of older workers.
The Agency's network of 31 local offices provides an all-age service for those seeking employment. We also help employers to fill vacancies. If an employer seeks to impose age limits when notifying a vacancy, the Agency encourages the employer to either abandon the age limits or broaden the age band. We also emphasise the experience and reliability of older workers.
If an employer insists on imposing an age restriction for a vacancy which appears unjustifiable, the Agency will not handle it. This has been the position for several years.
On a more general note the Agency is planning to produce a booklet giving practical advice to older people about finding work, training and changing jobs. It will also encourage them to realise the wealth of experience, maturity and skills they possess. In addition we propose to produce a separate booklet for employers highlighting both the benefits of recruiting older people and the unfairness of age discrimination.
I hope that you find this reply helpful. I will of course be pleased to provide further information if you would find it useful.