HR Magazine – Older workers at risk of career stagnation, CIPD warns

The report highlights that older workers have significantly fewer opportunities for career advancement compared with their younger counterparts.

After surveying more than 5,000 UK workers, the CIPD found that 24% of workers aged 55 and over see good prospects for career advancement, which is less than the overall average of 39%.

Employment for individuals aged 50 to 64 has risen by 40% over the past 20 years. By contrast, the number of 16-to-24-year-olds in the job market has declined by 13% during the same period.

Despite being a growing part of the workforce, only 47% of respondents aged 55 and over indicated that their current roles provide good opportunities for skill development; 73% of people aged 18 to 24 felt the same way.

To create a level playing field across age groups, “we need to recognise that career paths are no longer linear,” said Ben Chambers, founder of The Talent and Leadership Club peer network, speaking to HR magazine. “Rapid advances in technology mean that everyone, regardless of age, will need to reskill and adapt multiple times.

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“Long-serving employees may not have had the same access to learning as recent hires, so we need to rebalance this with practical, relevant development opportunities,” Chambers added. 

Nick Petschek, a managing director at organisational change management firm Kotter International, agreed, telling HR magazine: “Multigenerational teams not only have more robust experiences to pull from, but often provide better business outcomes.”

Chambers emphasised that HR professionals must offer learning that links to real roles and value, rather than generic training. He added: “Professional bodies, like the CIPD, have a vital role in keeping learning front and centre as careers are redefined.”

Petschek explained that companies must embed continuous, purpose-driven learning into their culture. 

“Training can also provide a common language to help different generations better communicate, share past experiences, and work more effectively together in the future.

“By embedding age-diverse learning pathways, peer mentoring, and skills-based progression into company culture, organisations can ensure development is equitable and energising across all generations, providing training and a shared purpose and opportunity.”

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The CIPD’s analysis found that job moves among the older age group are less common compared to other age groups. Only around one in four workers (24%) aged over 55 said that their job offered good prospects for career advancement, compared to 39% of workers overall and 59% of those aged 18 to 24.

The report highlights a 27% fall in the amount spent on workforce training in the UK over the last decade, from £4,095 per trainee in 2011 to just £2,971 per trainee in 2022, and that participation in training falls with age.

Lizzie Crowley, skills adviser for the CIPD, said in the report: “Our analysis, and latest projections from government on a pensions crisis, paint a bleak picture with profound implications for individuals as well as economic and social policy.

“If changes to retirement age and the pensions crisis mean we’re all going to work for longer, we urgently need to usher in a new era of reskilling to help people develop into new roles and sectors.”

The CIPD’s analysis is drawn from its 2025 Good Work Index online survey, conducted by YouGov, of 5,017 UK working adults. Fieldwork was carried out from 8 January to 18 February 2025.