Helping older workers access employment

This tailored service shows the positive impact person-centred provision can have on older jobseekers.

Triage Impact works with local, regional and national stakeholders to deliver government-led initiatives in the skills and employability sector.  

They recently partnered with HealthFind – an organisation that supports individuals in their search for employment and increase their chances of success in a new role. Together, supported by Ageing Better, they ran the Steps to Your Goal pilot that focused on older jobseekers in Middlesbrough, moving them towards sustainable work and helping them manage their wider life circumstance.

This 12-week programme was delivered to 50 participants across two different groups between June 2024 and January 2025. Ageing Better’s evaluation sets out the key findings from the work and recommendations for future provision.

Here, Thomas Highfield, Innovation Manager with Triage, and Heidi Fish, Head of Operations with HealthFind, explain the importance of the work.

Beyond a traditional employability offer

The 50+ pilot has been an invaluable opportunity for Triage Impact to deliver intensive employability support tailored to a group often overlooked – older jobseekers needing to navigate and access the modern jobs market.

This pilot enabled us to go beyond a traditional employability offer. Our approach focused on understanding each person’s story, strengths and the complex challenges they faced – whether related to confidence, digital skills, health, caring responsibilities, or work history.  

By providing consistent 1:1 coaching, we built relationships based on trust, enabling participants to be ‘heard’ and ‘valued’. This proved particularly effective with individuals who had disengaged from previous programmes or felt left behind by mainstream provision.

One of the key takeaways for Triage is the importance of a non-linear, human approach. Progress for this group doesn’t always look like immediate job starts – it might be saying yes to a short course after years of self-doubt or attending a job fair for the first time in decades.  

These steps matter. The pilot gave us the space to recognise and value these milestones and to address barriers like transport, mental health and employer / employee perceptions.

Looking ahead, we see clear need – and appetite – for more place-based, person-centred support for over-50s. The ageing workforce will only grow, and we need systems that value life experience and create inclusive routes back into work. We’re proud to have been part of this programme and hope the insights help shape future commissioning and delivery models that accommodate older jobseekers, ensuring no one is written off simply because of their age. 

Thomas Highfield is Innovation Manager with Triage

Meaningful work must begin with meaningful health

Taking part in Steps to Your Goal affirmed what we’ve long believed: people over 50 face complex, layered barriers to employment, with health often at the centre. This pilot gave us the rare privilege of working closely with participants to explore those barriers without judgement or pressure. The feedback we received was humbling – “This is the first time I’ve felt heard,” one participant told us. That sense of being seen and supported was transformational.

Our model focused on creating a safe, trusting space where people could speak openly about their physical and mental health. From navigating healthcare systems and managing long-term conditions to addressing lifestyle changes or emotional wellbeing, our approach helped participants reconnect with a sense of purpose and possibility. Many told us they hadn’t expected health to be treated as part of employment support – yet for most, it needed to come first.

The pilot also taught us important lessons. We need to introduce our offer earlier, tailor it to local context, and make it more accessible for digitally excluded groups. More consistent communication about what health coaching involves could also help set expectations and increase engagement.

But most of all, the pilot showed that when we start with trust, listen deeply, and work holistically, change happens. Participants moved forward – not just in employment terms, but in confidence, resilience, and belief in what their futures could hold.

We’re proud to have been part of this. Supporting people in their 50s and 60s isn’t about quick wins – it’s about giving them the tools, space and support to take the next step, on their own terms.

From 30 June, HealthFind will become known as AKG Health, as part of a wider rebrand that also sees Jobs 22 and Learn Plus Us align under the unified AKG identity. This transition reflects how these organisations already work closely across employment, health and learning, and marks an important step towards delivering more integrated and person-centred support across the UK. 

Heidi Fish is Head of Operations with HealthFind