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The Scottish
Government has launched a campaign to stamp out age-related discrimination,
supported by financial consultant Aon Consulting, and is urging
Scots to ‘See the Person, not the Age’.
Recent research by Aon shows that three quarters (75 per cent) of
Scotland’s employees anticipate working beyond the age of
65, and 26 per cent said they would carry on working past the official
retirement age simply because they wanted to. Forty nine per cent
believe it will be necessary to increase their pension.
The £640,000 anti-ageism campaign will feature television,
radio, online and press advertising, and is designed to encourage
Scots to think past stereotypes based on age. The campaign was launched
on 7 July 2008, and will run until the end of September, incorporating
work with local authorities and the voluntary sector.
The number of Scots of pensionable age is expected to rise by around
31 per cent from 980,000 in 2006 to 1,290,000 in 2031.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison, said: “The number of
Scots at pensionable age is rising, and we can all benefit from
the skills and experience that older people bring.
“But there are challenges involved in planning for an ageing
population and one of them is to ensure we create a Scotland that
is inclusive.”
HR consultant at Aon, Jon Beaumont, added: “Age should not
be seen as a barrier. There is a vast pool of mentally agile people,
with great work and life experience over the age of 60 and industries
will be missing a trick if they do not capitalise on their productive
potential.”
The campaign follows the publication of All Our Futures: Planning
for a Scotland with an Ageing Population in March 2007, in
which the Scottish Government committed to a campaign to combat
ageism.
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Pensions Age July 2008
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