A free career advisory service helping mature workers plan for the next stage of their careers was launched this week.

The new pilot program, Skills Checkpoint Pilot, is targeted at mature workers aged 45 to 54 to help them take stock of their abilities and identify opportunities to gain new skills or employment.

The pilot will use selected Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) providers to deliver services to benefit around 2,000 employed people in certain states and territories.

Skills Checkpoint will provide mature workers with advice on how they can use their existing skills to gain new jobs or help them understand what skills and training may be required if they wish to change careers.

Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Luke Hartsuyker, said the government was committed to helping mature aged workers remain in the workforce for as long as they wanted.

“Often as people enter middle age they are thinking about changing jobs or industries but may not be sure about what they have to offer a new employer or what it will take to win a job,” Hartsuyker said.

“This is especially the case where people may have worked in the one job for a long time or where an industry is undergoing significant change.”

For more information on the Skills Checkpoint Pilot go to www.education.gov.au/skillscheckpointpilot

[From: http://www.nationalseniors.com.au/be-informed/news-articles/mature-age-workers-get-free-career-check?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Connect%20450%20-%2010/12/15&utm_content=Story%201%3A%20Mature%20age%20workers%20to%20get%20free%20career%20check-up&utm_source=www.vision6.com.au]