1/2 In episode 3 of the podcast ‘Do I still count?’ it’s about prejudices.
They are slow, illiterate, they are not flexible, they are often ill, there is no suitable work. These beliefs leave tens of thousands if not a hundred thousand potential elderly or disabled workers on the sidelines of the labor market. In practice, these prejudices do not appear to hold water. In episode three of the podcast ‘Do I still count?’, you will receive tips on how to break through this wall of negative judgments.
The first reactions from potential new employers are coming in to Femke, Hans and René. They wanted to know whether, as a person over 60 or chronically ill, they still count in the current tight labor market. You can follow their experiences in the podcast ‘Do I still count?’ The first reactions are positive. Hans and Femke have been invited for various introductory meetings.
“Employers will never say it out loud, but there are so many prejudices about older employees.”
Only René receives two rejections. He is told that there was someone who better met the requirements and that someone else had written a more convincing application letter. Erik Veurink volunteers to help people over 50 find work. He is irritated by these standard rejections, he says in the podcast. “Employers will never say it out loud, but there are so many prejudices about older employees.”
In daily life, Erik is campus director of Brainport Industries Campus. He is responsible for the maintenance and care of buildings on campus, of which ASLM is the best known. He also works for Buddy Werkt in his spare time. This is an initiative by municipalities in Southeast Brabant, the UWV and Ergon to help unemployed people find a job.
“My contacts ensure that I have already helped 7 of the 9 unemployed people find a job.”
If Erik is your buddy, this means that after a good conversation you can snoop in his LinkedIn profile. If you find a nice company there and Erik likes it, he will call for you. “My contacts ensure that I have already helped 7 of the 9 unemployed people find a job.”
According to Erik, there are so many unjustified prejudices about the elderly. “The elderly are very stable and not job hoppers. The elderly are not sick more often than the young. They also have a wealth of experience and a lot of professional knowledge. And people with disabilities are extremely motivated to work and simply participate in the rest.”
Waiting for privacy settings…