Hiring older Australians: lessons from Singapore

Singapore's employers have found that older workers are more motivated, experienced and have better client relation skills than young job seekers. And these benefits come to employers all wrapped up with a bow, which amounts to roughly an 8% on-going wage subsidy granted, by the government.

By contrast, Prime Minister Gillard's three-year program to assist mature aged workers is determined to persuade a paltry 10,000 firms to hire a statistically insignificant 10,000 Australians at a cost of chump change: a measly $10 million.

Clearly what we could learn from Singapore could easily fill Parliament House.

Oh, and as to the matter of Workers Compensation legislation as it relates to older workers in Singapore? Once again we can take a leaf out of the Singaporean playbook. Unlike the practice in most Australian states, the Singaporeans are not ageist. Workers compensation has no employee age ceiling.

Forget a leaf. Better yet let's take the whole darn book.