They are often our politicians, teachers, bus drivers and community stalwarts.

When hiring or assessing applicants, employers often say nothing can compensate a person’s experience.

Contained behind the aged eyes or under the scarred skin of an older worker is often a world view that money cannot buy.

Mature-aged workers are often attributed to volunteer work.

They are the ones sizzling the sausages and driving a fundraising effort – why are they not stereotyped with a paying job?

Older Tasmanians offer a lot to the community through their voluntary work, none of which should be disregarded. 

Their drive and passion would be an asset to many companies.

Without watering down their existence to a number on a spreadsheet – there is a problem with an ageing population that is going to need addressing.

As more people get older the cost of the social services bill increases.

The aged pension is the largest expenditure item in the federal budget.

Each year it costs $45 billion and if nothing changes, it is forecast to blow out to an unsustainable $51 billion by 2020.

In raising the pension age, the federal government has already taken steps to minimise the budget burden of an older population.  

Today’s report by the Regional Australia Institute issues a dire warning for the nation; embrace older workers or face an economic problem.

It is disturbing that we are only now paying attention because of the looming fiscal issues associated with unemployed older people.

Council of the Ageing Tasmania has been spruiking the benefits of employing an older worker for years. 

There is another difficulty in transitioning older blue-collar workers to a less strenuous job.

The economic woes cannot be fixed by handing a 70-year-old a tool belt and sending him off to build a deck.

Keeping mature-aged Australians in work requires a concurrent effort with state and federal governments and the leadership of the private sector.  

Do not discriminate, hire an older Tasmanian. You won’t regret it.