The hospitality industry should make more use of older workers, but take advantage of their knowledge and experience rather than forcing them through unnecessary training, according to a leading academic.

Recent industrial training policies in the UK have prioritised the vocational training of “older workers”, reflecting predictions that over the next 25 years an increasing number of older people will be willing, able and in many cases obliged for financial reasons to remain in paid employment after the age when they might have retired.

An 18-month study of the employment of older workers in a range of organisations from Scotland’s hospitality sector and visitor attraction centres indicated that workforce development might best be focused on using existing skills rather than acquiring new ones.

Lead researcher Dr Roy Canning of the University of Stirling said: “ We found that older workers are generally highly valued employees, particularly for contributing with their experience as former employees from related enterprises and for their informal support of colleagues.

“They are also generally seen as reliable, with excellent customer service skill-sets and a strong work ethic. And contrary to expectations, there often appeared to be few conflict-related issues associated with older employees and their usually much younger managers. In many cases older workers were very much the sort of people who fit in with what the hospitality industry tends to be looking for.

“They are flexible and can work seasonal and odd hours for competitive wages, as the post-retirement job often is a supplement for their pension.”

Dr Canning added: “There is a need to prioritise skill utilisation rather than skill acquisition in the case of older workers. This is about valuing their experience and acknowledging the role that older workers can play as informal mentors to younger members of staff.”

The research found that the “revolving door” approach to training, where every employee attends standardised courses in order to comply with specific legislative requirements or company policy, may not always be appropriate. Older workers would benefit from a more customised approach to learning based on the recognition of their experience.