The future of the ageing workforce in engineering: relics or resources?

Retaining older workers in productive employment is forecast to be a major issue as rapid changes, such as digitalisation and artificial intelligence, will transform how many roles are performed. Two such issues faced by older workers are normal age-related cognitive decline that affects reasoning and problem solving, and workplace stereotyping based on their age. Qualified engineers (n=25, range 24-77 years) participated in a non-verbal multiple-choice abstract reasoning test to assess problem solving ability, then individually interviewed on their perceptions of retaining older engineers in the workplace. The study finds all engineers scored similarly, however, the task revealed that older engineers faced with the same novel problem take significantly longer to solve than their younger counterparts. This finding is countered with evidence that younger engineers rely on older engineers' experience and knowledge for training and mentoring. This study highlights the benefits and resources that older engineers bring to the workplace.