Dear Editor ,
It is all very well to include a photo of Christie Brinkley , an overseas model, in the Daily Telegraph January 16 2013 to promote her appearance, as she approaches 60 years of age.
I am now aged 60, and believe that I would shape up equally well against Ms Brinkley- I have a shapely body honed by walking and swimming. I am repeatedly told that I do not look my age. So much so, that in January 2013, I was chatted up by a 23 year old male in Bexley , Sydney and a 35 year old male in June 2013 in hotel reception in Glasgow, Scotland.
Age may very well only be a number until you attempt to enter the workforce. It is then that employers do not want to know you .
I retired in January 2012 after 36 years in the classroom . I was also a Local Government Councillor for 17 years, and along the way have gained a multitide of skills. ( My blog ,address below, will highlight some of these attributes)
In 2014, I would like to return part time to the workforce. Upon speaking to people in the mature age bracket , regardless of their skills, they will tell you how hard it is to gain employment.
Employers are only too happy to see people in this age bracket retire”as many consider them to be deadwood. “ This attitude appears to be common in schools . and elsewhere.
The reality is that the Australian workplace is losing people with valuable skills , a mature attitude to work , and the ability to work as part of a team .
Age may only be a number , but certainly one of real concern when seeking employment . It is a topic that warrants community debate.
Anne Field
