Platform mediates

How “45 plus” is no longer too old when looking for a job

Anyone over 45 looking for a job is often confronted with discrimination - this is set to change.

Too old, expensive, often ill - stereotypes like these make it difficult for over 45s looking for work to find a job again. A platform initiated by the FAB association now not only combats these prejudices, but also aims to help people find a new job. Following the launch in Styria, the platform is now also taking off in Upper Austria.

Highly trained, lots of professional experience, but preferably only in their early 20s - many companies are still looking for these wunderwuzzis, who in turn are hesitant when it comes to older workers applying for jobs.

People aged 45 and over are often confronted with age discrimination, according to a SORA study conducted for the Public Employment Service. Older jobseekers experience a setback in application situations, reveals Silvia Kunz, Managing Director of FAB, the Association for the Promotion of Work and Employment.

For older jobseekers, application situations are still often overshadowed by perceived discrimination, which makes job hunting more difficult.

Silvia Kunz, Geschäftsführerin FAB

Bild: FAB/Sabine Kneidinger Photography

"Too old, expensive, often ill, no longer as efficient and less motivated - these attributions for people in the 45 plus target group in recruitment are simply wrong," says Martina Schröck, who heads the Styria and Carinthia business area at FAB and is also responsible for the new job and communication platform, which aims to create an age-discrimination-free space.

Job advertisements are now published at www.seniorquality.at by companies that are specifically looking for experienced employees.

"But we also see ourselves as an expert body when it comes to issues of age discrimination in the job world and the successful generation mix. We want to highlight the benefits that companies can achieve with diverse teams," emphasizes Schröck. Following the launch of the platform two years ago in Styria, the FAB is now taking on the role of mediator for over-45 jobseekers in Upper Austria.