Leading Midlands college group welcomes government plans to encourage over 50s back into workplace

A leading Midlands college group has welcomed government plans to encourage over 50s who have left their jobs back into the workplace.

WCG (Warwickshire College Group) has welcomed plans to introduce a new kind of apprenticeship targeted at the over 50s who want to return to work.

The ‘returnership’ apprenticeships will operate alongside skills bootcamps and sector-based work academies, focusing on flexibility and previous experience to reduce training length.

The announcement was made by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Budget speech.

Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “We welcome the government’s intention to provide incentives to over 50s who have left their jobs to return to the workforce.

“There has been a substantial loss of skills as a result of over 50s leaving the workforce which we at WCG have already recognised, and as a result we are currently developing opportunities for these people to re-engage with both ourselves and employers in a number of ways.

“This also includes voluntary roles such as governors, mentors and guest speakers, which will help those over 50 to re-invest into the next generation some of the knowledge, skills and wisdom they have gained during a long working career.

“We have already recognised that the over-50s who have chosen to leave the workforce have a huge amount to offer and we have plans in place to reach out to individuals across Warwickshire and Worcestershire- the Chancellor clearly thinks the same!

“As the key adult learning provider in the region we would expect to be involved in supporting the programmes announced, and look forward to hearing more about the plans as further details are announced.”