Ageism is the invisible barrier widening our skills gaps.

Ageism is a form of discrimination where individuals are treated unfairly or denied opportunities based on their age, rather than their abilities or experience.

According to research by Ciphr in late 2024, ageism is the most common form of workplace discrimination in the UK, with no evidence that gender significantly alters how it is experienced. It affects everyone.

% of people nationally experiencing age discrimination associated with employment.

Yorkshire and the Humber rank 4th out of 9 for the prevalence by region of people who have experienced discrimination at work or as a job applicant, with 43% of people saying that they have.

% of people regionally experiencing age discrimination associated with employment.

It should feel alarming to all of us that 43% of people in our region claim to have experienced discrimination associated with employment.

It begs the question of how aware we are of the existence and perpetuation of biases and their harmful and limiting impacts on our business success and sustainability.

Recognising ageism

Age discrimination can be direct. This occurs when someone is treated less favourably specifically because of their age.

For example, a 58-year-old applicant is rejected for a sales role, despite having more experience than other candidates, because the hiring manager believes they "wouldn't fit in with the young team."

This is direct discrimination, as the decision is based solely on the candidate's age.

It can also be indirect.

For example, a company offering a fast-track leadership programme, but only to employees who are in the first five years of their career.

This assumes that leadership potential is tied to youth or early career stage, which can indirectly exclude older employees from development opportunities unless the criteria can be objectively justified.

Are societal norms more influential than legislation when it comes to ageism?

While the Equality Act 2010 offers legal protection against age discrimination in employment and recruitment, ageist attitudes remain deeply ingrained in societal norms regarding appropriate behaviour and capability at different life stages. As a result, many instances of age discrimination are normalised or overlooked entirely.

In our mission to bridge the skills gap, we often focus on recruitment strategies pertaining to attracting ‘young talent’, hiring apprentices, educational reforms and early careers training programmes. Yet, there’s an underlying and overlooked issue that subtly undermines all of these efforts, and that’s ageism.

Ageism isn’t merely about overt discrimination against older people. It’s about the embedded perceptions that influence decisions about hiring, training, and career progression. These perceptions are often to the detriment of not just the individual concerned, but an organisations pathway to success and sustainability too.

There is an unspoken assumption that youth equals innovation, adaptability, and digital fluency. But this narrative is both limiting and increasingly inaccurate.

Not all young people are naturally digitally fluent, and not all older people are technophobic or resistant to change. These stereotypes flatten individual capability and ignore the broader issue which is that the UK’s workforce is ageing, and failing to engage older workers is a strategic misstep. The overemphasis on youth can unintentionally reinforce ageist thinking, suggesting that older workers are a problem to manage, rather than an asset to engage.

What happened to recognising potential, adaptability, and attitude across the full working-age spectrum?

A truly future ready workforce strategy must focus on contribution, not just category. Everyone, regardless of age, should have access to opportunities to reskill, upskill, and remain economically active.

The impact of ageism on upskilling and reskilling

This is not just a social equity issue, it’s an economic one. Nationally, over 460,000 people aged 50–64 are currently out of work but say they want to work. Many cite age discrimination as a major barrier. At the same time, employers struggle to fill vacancies and cite skill shortages as a top concern. Surely it is not just me that can see the glaring disconnect, is it?

If we continue to categorise people by age group rather than ability, mindset, and skill, we risk deepening the very skills crisis we’re trying to solve.

Ageism’s impact on older workers is often more apparent and widely recognised. Although the default retirement age was officially abolished in 2011, I frequently encounter workers who are still unaware that they are not obligated to retire at a specific age. When we discuss this and explore flexible alternatives where they can continue to be economically active, I often see a visible shift in their mindset. It is like a lightbulb moment, a spark of relief and newfound possibility. Many have confided in me with a sigh of relief saying things like, “oh, thank goodness. I was dreading retirement, Chloe, I did not know how I was going to fill all that time.”

These conversations about extending careers or adjusting work arrangements tend to be easier when speaking with older employees as they are more immediately confronted by the realities of age related assumptions. However, what is less obvious and arguably just as damaging is how ageist attitudes permeate the experience of mid-career professionals. Ageism does not only disadvantage older workers; it also cultivates a workplace culture where learning new skills or pursuing reskilling opportunities is seen as something only the young do.

This deep-rooted mindset discourages mid-career individuals from seeking growth because they fear being labelled incapable, or simply believe their current life circumstances such as family commitments and financial responsibilities make it impossible.

I have heard heartfelt expressions of regret from many in their thirties and forties. “I would have loved to retrain as a welder but I am 35 with two children, there is no way I can make that happen now.” I have listened to resigned tones saying, “it is what it is,” before gently encouraging them to dare to dream what if. I try to help them see that their aspirations do not have to be shelved or forgotten just because they are reaching mid-life milestones.

Dreams and ambitions should not be confined to youth nor should personal growth be limited by arbitrary cultural assumptions about age.

Ageism and the younger generation

And of course we cannot ignore that frankly insulting stereotypes that we attribute to the youngest people in our workforces. We call them ‘entitled’, exasperate over how they ‘lack resilience’ and throw around the words ‘woke’ like it’s the worst thing in the world someone can be.

There are strengths behind all of these so called ‘negative’ traits.

Being called ‘entitled’ often just means they set clear boundaries. This boundary setting protects their wellbeing and helps prevent burnout. Businesses that respect these limits benefit from more engaged, motivated employees who stay longer and perform better.

The claim that younger workers ‘lack resilience’ ignores that resilience today looks different. They openly seek support, challenge outdated ways, and push for change. These are qualities that help organisations adapt and innovate in fast changing environments.

And ‘woke’? It means being socially aware and committed to inclusion. Younger employees bring fresh perspectives that build stronger, more diverse workplaces. This drives creativity, attracts talent, and connects companies better with customers.

Bridging generational divides

I’ve created quite the speech on my approach to bridging generational divides. I talk about exchanging knowledge on fishing for knowledge of phishing. However, I recognise that in itself can play in to these perceptions and biases we hold about digital fluency and lacking resilience, as well as it being an oversimplification of strategic intervention.

What I can tell you is, if we don’t bridge generational divides, and help everyone in the workforce to value eachothers very unique contributions irrespective of age, we have no hope of closing these skills gaps.

I would urge you to look to our role models that passionately demonstrate and promote lifelong learning.

I would urge you to engage in meaningful and powerful 1-1 conversations with all of your staff, irrespective of their age to find out what their dreams, hopes and plans are. Support them to discover them if they don’t yet know, because I guarantee you it will boost your bottom line if you do.

I would urge you to get strategic support to ensure you are fostering intergenerational collaboration in your workplace, not where the old are simply mentoring the young through an apprenticeship programme. But where everyone learns from and respects each other.

Lastly, but certainly not least, I urge you to actively dispel myths about different age groups.

How do you do this? Simply ask -

Why do you care what society says you should be doing?

Why do you feel that why?

Why wouldn’t you be able to?

Why can’t you do it?

Why do you think that?

Why not?

Or simply, just,

Why?