ABSTRACT
The age-balance of Britain's workforce has in fact been changing for some time, as the first batch of baby boomers reach retirement age. In some highly skilled areas such as aerospace and defence, up to 40 per cent of the workforce could be leaving in the next five years in line with international trends, according to The Economist, taking a lifetime of expertise with them. Further predictions estimate that between 2010 and 2020, the UK will need more than two million new workforce entrants. It is widely acknowledged that this demand can only be met through a combination of most adults extending their working life and enticing many more to re-enter the labour market. Further UK Government strategy to address the demographic shift has been laid out in the 2005 White Paper Opportunity Age. Policy aims to encourage older people to stay in employment for longer as well as supporting employers to use their older workforce more productively.
