Member Article

Breakthrough partnership deal for growing Age Inclusive

Age Inclusive, an innovative company based at Newcastle University’s campus for Ageing and Vitality, has won a major partnership deal with the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei), the UK’s only employer-led membership organisation advising on all aspects of equality in the workplace.

The deal will see enei members gain access to Age Inclusive’s unique Ageing Workforce Diagnostic Tool and associated training to help manage the challenges and opportunities that ageing can present within the workplace.

As a result of the phasing out of the retirement age in 2011, there now are over one million over 65s working in the UK and up to four generations working together under one roof. A growing Newcastle-based company, Age Inclusive was established in 2012 with the help of Newcastle Science City in response to the issues associated with an increasingly ageing workforce.

Age Inclusive brings together experts from across the region who recognise the need to support employers wanting to manage the implications of the ageing workforce in a positive, fair and non-discriminatory way.

The company has gone on to develop the exclusive Ageing Workforce Diagnostic Tool to provide employers with an analysis of their policies and procedures against best practice. The tool allows employers to identify good practice and areas for improvement in addressing the challenges and opportunities that arise out of an ageing workforce.

Charlie Wainwright, Business Support Manager at Newcastle Science City involved in helping to develop the business, said: “It’s really rewarding to see a company that we have worked closely with go on to grow and progress to the next stage in their development. This new partnership will allow Age Inclusive to play a significant role in helping UK companies to improve their businesses, regardless of the age demographic of their staff. It has been a pleasure to be involved in such an innovative project that provides a tangible response to the issues arising out of our increasingly ageing workforce.”

Cynthia Bartley, Director of Age Inclusive, said: “enei represents many of the UK’s leading companies and public sector organisations, so we are delighted to have this partnership with them.

“Their members are at the forefront of human resource issues and social responsibility, so it is not surprising that they see the extension of working lives beyond 65 as something that needs to be managed for their own benefit, for the benefit of their employees and society as a whole.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Newcastle Science City .