You can teach an old employee new tricks

TORONTO, ONTARIO - At 54, Dan Johns wanted to find his future, and he decided it would be in renewable energy.

He'd spent nine years in the same role as leader of construction and engineering insurance for insurer RSA in Toronto, and was ready for a change. Captivated by the green movement himself, he also saw a niche the company had not yet tapped and felt there was opportunity for both to benefit.

But nobody at the company was approaching him to do anything different - and, he says, "you always have the question they might not think it's worth the investment at my age."

So Mr. Johns took his future into his own hands. He put together a business plan, making the case that renewable energy was a developing specialty the company should get involved in insuring - and asking his employer to cover the costs of a series of technical courses that would help turn him into the company expert.

When he presented his plan to the executive team two years ago, he got approval on the spot, he says. "The company was extremely supportive, because they could see the advantage for me and for them," says Mr. Johns, now 56.

Not every older employee is getting that level of development support these days. At a time when organizations will need the help of experienced staff to recover from the recession, mature workers are still being considered expendable when training dollars are allocated, according to a recent survey of 218 employers by the Conference Board of Canada.

With belts still being tightened, 51 per cent of companies are slashing their training and development budgets this year, the survey found. Moreover, it warned that mature staff will face the cuts more than younger employees.

Just 25 per cent of the companies said they have ongoing programs to help mature workers improve their skills. That compares with two-thirds that are providing ongoing training for younger employees.

But career experts say the notion that it's not worth teaching old employees new tricks is outdated. As employers are giving older employees short shrift on training and development, 50-plus workers need to take the initiative to get what they want or need, experts say.

"In almost every discussion of training these days, companies raise the issue of the value of training workers over 50," says Jocelyn Bérard, executive vice-president of leadership for Nexient Learning Inc. in Toronto. "They say, 'Wait a minute, this person may retire in a couple of years, while a younger person will probably be here at least 10 years.'"

But that's old thinking, he says. With retirement no longer mandatory at 65 in most of Canada, and people living longer and healthier lives, many older workers still want to continue to grow and contribute. And this economy has made many more mature workers want to stay on the job.

While employers may pay lip service to treating all workers equally, the fact is that many still believe in the stereotypes that older workers are set in their ways, says Barbara Jaworski, chief executive officer of the Workplace Institute, a human-resources consultancy based in Ottawa.

"Most employers believe elder people are resistant to change and difficult to train. But those are both myths," she says.

"Research shows that older workers are keen to learn, and are as capable as their younger counterparts when it comes to grasping new skills. They love the challenges that come with mastering new tricks."

Moreover, "older workers may actually be a better long-term investment for employers because they may be more likely to remain loyal to an employer who invests in their development than younger employees," who have more options to jump to another job, Ms. Jaworski says.

Employers will respond to mature workers who can make the case that keeping their skills sharp will also keep the organization on the cutting edge, says Carl Lovas, managing partner of the Toronto office of recruiter Odgers Berndtson.

"We are still facing a huge global talent shortage and, as we come out of the economic crisis, the talent shortage is only going to increase," he says.

Because organizations are looking for change, it will also be an easier sell to describe how upgrading your skills will make you more flexible and able to take on new and bigger roles, says David Shaw, chief executive officer of executive coaching company Knightsbridge Human Capital in Toronto.

"While you should be as specific as possible about what courses you want to take or skills gaps you want to fill, you also need to discuss what skills the company feels will be most valuable for employees to have in the future," Mr. Shaw says.

Building skills for the future is why management at RSA decided to buck the trend of budget-cutting and actually boosted its training budget by almost 20 per cent for this year, says Michael Kyritsis, vice-president of human resources.

"While there may be a short-term saving, the economy will turn around, and we've got to be ready for that," he says, adding the company is encouraging employees of all ages to upgrade their skills.

That means management offers employees a menu of courses to consider based on issues identified in annual performance evaluations. All employees get updates on trends in the industry.

Employees are encouraged to suggest their own development programs, he says, including mapping out what type of training they think they'd need to reach their long-term goals.

Meanwhile, older workers are also being encouraged to pass on their knowledge and skills to younger employees, he says.

A new program introduced last year assigns young employees who score well on aptitude tests to experienced people in their technical field who act as mentors.

"The best way to learn is through experience and by receiving the accumulated knowledge from more veteran employees who have stories of successes, as well as experience of war wounds," Mr. Kyritsis says.

For Mr. Johns, it's not only war stories but the nuts and bolts of his recent renewable energy training that he is passing along. Now finished with his courses, he has become an expert on insuring small-scale energy projects.

The expertise got him promoted to national leader for construction, engineering and renewable energy, responsible for strategic planning on insuring small-scale energy projects.

The new skills have raised his profile both in the company and in his industry, he says. He has run two-day seminars on renewable energy for employees and has been invited to speak at several industry conferences.

"It's a way to use my experience in new ways and it demonstrates that the company places a lot of value on my expertise," Mr. Johns says.

His advice: "If your company is not offering the training you need, push for it. If you work with your employer, they will work with you."