JobStart scheme aims to get over-50s back into work

Eugene Reid took a redundancy package from his job in 2020 and has worked in a number of roles, including as a local councillor in Ballymena.

He is currently looking for work and would like to work for another 15 years.

“I spent a career in an industry until I was 50 and then decided I wanted a change, and it was difficult because of the pandemic, finding obstacles in my way to decent and permanent employment, and four years on I’m finding it just as difficult,” he said.

“There’s a perception employers are more than willing to give jobs to young people who have just graduated because they think those people will stay there for life, but for many young people, a job for life is not a thing anymore.”

He said the JobStart initiative did not go far enough.

“We need people in the workforce, and there are huge swathes of people in my age group who want to get back out there, and they aren’t getting the opportunity to do it,” he said.

“It’s only a stepping stone in the right direction; much more needs to be done.

“There are many people out there; whether they had their children later in life or still have a mortgage, they want to get back to full-time employment.

“The schemes are not addressing the actual issues with people who have a lot of skills and a lot of experience, and they have to bring in a decent income in which they feel they are appreciated for the knowledge that they have.”