The Challenge

The 5-year Age at Work programme, delivered in three nations by six partner organisations, was funded with £2,244,944 by the National Lottery Community Fund. With nearly 11 million workers aged 50+ and projections of continued growth, older workers face barriers such as age discrimination, lack of workplace flexibility, and insufficient support for career planning. Compounded by the pandemic, these challenges have hindered the return and retention of older workers in employment. Employers, too, have struggled to adopt age-inclusive practices, leaving a significant portion of the workforce underutilised. The past five years have seen the programme adapt and innovate to address the changing employment landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown challenged the delivery of the planned programmes while simultaneously increasing their importance to older workers.

The Solution

Age at Work commissioned Bean Research to measure the programme’s effectiveness and report its social impact. Consistent evaluation was embedded in the delivery process, resulting in robust outcome measures fed in regularly to improve the programme as it developed.

Through stakeholder engagement with participants from the Age at Work programmes and delivery partners, with representatives across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, Bean Research developed a Theory of Change to measure outcomes for older workers and employers, focusing on three key initiatives:

• Mid-Career Reviews: in workplaces to assist older workers in planning for career progression and retirement.
• Still Ready for Work: Helping unemployed older workers back into employment.
• Age Inclusive Support: Assisting employers to ensure greater engagement and retention of older workers.

Throughout the 5-year programme, Bean had been consistently engaging, measuring and evaluating the impact of the programme against the key outcomes and indicators.

The Results

Through continuous stakeholder engagement and robust evaluation, Bean Research ensured measurable outcomes and improvements throughout the programme. The programme achieved significant outcomes for older workers and employers, to show a few:

• Older Workers: 585 improved employability skills; 2,178 gained financial planning knowledge, and 300 secured and sustained employment.
• Employers: 206 increased awareness of age inclusivity challenges, and 115 organisations adopted policies to support older workers.

Bean evaluation revealed a total social value of £16.6 million over three years, equating to a £7.43 return for every £1 invested. The increased confidence of older workers through Age at Work accounted for 40% of this value.

The Age at Work programme achieved significant outcomes and integrated social value tracking. Collaboration between researchers and programme teams enabled continuous feedback from older workers, enhancing future programmes. Endorsed by the National Lottery Community Fund, the partnership model illustrates effective multi-nation collaboration and offers insights for similar initiatives. The final report serves as a resource and model for best practices, encouraging broader adoption of age-inclusive approaches.

“Bean Research was commissioned by the Age at Work partners in 2020 to measure the effectiveness and impact of the Age at Work programme on the lives of older people and businesses across three nations.  The partnership has been highly successful with robust reports produced that show the impact of the programme. Bean Research are highly professional, considerate, friendly, and helpful.  We greatly appreciate their input into the programme and hope to continue working with them in the future. We would highly recommend Bean Research to others.”

Jacqui Corscadden, Project Manager, Age NI