No limit: why apprenticeships work at any age

With more and more people retiring later these days, the over-50s make up a large proportion of the workforce, and with the recruitment crisis our industry is currently facing, offering retraining or upskilling opportunities for this age group is an effective way to foster a diverse and skilled team.

Luckily, the hospitality industry has a proud history of being non-ageist. You are just as likely to see a senior manager in their mid-20s as you are one in their mid-50s, and there are opportunities for people of all working ages to embrace.

In my view, there is no role an 18-year-old could take on in this sector that a 50-year-old could not do without the right training.

Valuable experience

We have seen a much bigger focus on promoting a diverse workforce over recent years, but one of the facets that does not get talked about so often is age. We should be embracing the many benefits that older employees can bring.

Not only can they share valuable life experience with their co-workers, but it is likely that some of the skills they have gained in their previous roles can often be harnessed in hospitality. For example, any job with a customer service element can build skills that are much needed in our field, it is just about unlocking that within the hospitality context.

Plus, a lot of work in our sector is client-facing and customers will be drawn to spend time in environments where they see people like them. It is ideal to recruit a mixture of age groups, especially if you want to appeal to a broad customer base.

Lifelong learning

Regardless of age, apprenticeships are an ideal way for people to reskill or to build on the skills they already have, whether they are new to hospitality or want to progress further. 

For years hospitality has been seen as an option for school leavers, but there is no age limit on apprenticeships. Both employees and employers are increasingly recognising the benefits of training at any age, especially as our working lives are getting longer.

In fact, the over-50s tend to have a higher success rate in their apprenticeships than any other age group. HIT Training apprentices in the over-50s bracket have seen a 15% higher pass rate than the 16 to 18-year-olds bracket, and have the lowest dropout rate of all age groups. They are also less likely to take a break in their learning.

For employees, the benefits of training hold true at any age. There are studies showing that if you keep your brain active, it gives you a happier life, and learning new skills is a big part of that. It is about lifelong learning, not just career-long development.

For employers, investing in training is a big part of building and retaining a loyal workforce and more and more businesses are realising that age should not be a limiting factor. In fact, over the past five years, 12% of HIT apprentices have been over 50, compared to just 8% under 19 years of age.

And when it comes to over-50s, those useful skills they are likely to have picked up throughout their working lives could lead to shorter apprenticeships and therefore reduced costs for their employers.

There are huge opportunities in hospitality for anyone who is hard working and willing to learn, and apprenticeships are an ideal way to help them reach that potential. Working with an experienced training provider will help a company get to know what an individual of any age can learn and benefit from the most.