Age Limit

[Ray Atkinson]

Hi All,

Please could anyone tell me the age limit for FIFO rope access workers, I'm a level 3 age 62 but extremely fit level 3 since 1992 please be easy !

[paulhand]

2 hours ago, Ray Atkinson said:

Hi All,

Please could anyone tell me the age limit for FIFO rope access workers, I'm a level 3 age 62 but extremely fit level 3 since 1992 please be easy !

For a permanent visa, pretty much no chance. For a temporary one … it might be possible if an employer were to sponsor you but more info needed. 

[Ray Atkinson]

2 hours ago, paulhand said:

For a permanent visa, pretty much no chance. For a temporary one … it might be possible if an employer were to sponsor you but more info needed. 

Thanks Paul I will let you have more detailed info about myself but busy for the next few months 

[Marisawright]

11 hours ago, Ray Atkinson said:

Please could anyone tell me the age limit for FIFO rope access workers, I'm a level 3 age 62 but extremely fit level 3 since 1992 please be easy !

No chance of a permanent visa if that's what you're hoping for.  However if you just want a temporary contract, then do what you'd do for any international contract -- contact employers in Australia to let them know you're available, and apply for jobs you see advertised.  

Unfortunately, Australia is a very ageist country, so I'm not sure I fancy your chances.  To be honest, I've lived here for nearly 40 years and when my friends and I started to hit age prejudice in our 50s and 60s, we all just assumed it was a global trend.  I was gobsmacked when I was back in England in 2015/16 to see the difference in attitude, I even got offered jobs I didn't apply for.

Edited April 8 by Marisawright

[Quoll]

62??? Oh dear.  As has been said, Australia is very ageist and if they can get a 20 year old to do the job they will pick them every time.  Dont fancy your chances unless you are in an incredibly niche market that nobody else in Australia is skilled enough to do.  Over the hill at 50 here.

[Ausvisitor]

13 hours ago, Quoll said:

62??? Oh dear.  As has been said, Australia is very ageist and if they can get a 20 year old to do the job they will pick them every time.  Dont fancy your chances unless you are in an incredibly niche market that nobody else in Australia is skilled enough to do.  Over the hill at 50 here.

That's a very dated view, maybe if your skills are poor and therefore a younger person is as good as you then yes, but for those with actual skills and ability mid 60s is now the normal retirement age.

Your experience may have been different depending on your skills and abilities

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Ausvisitor said:

That's a very dated view, maybe if your skills are poor and therefore a younger person is as good as you then yes, but for those with actual skills and ability mid 60s is now the normal retirement age.

What does retirement age have to do with it?  We're not talking about people already in a job.  We're talking about people who are trying to find a NEW job in their 60s.   

It's nice to hear that in your field, there is a better attitude, but I can assure you that in many occupations in Australia, ageism is still widespread.  I worked in a male-dominated field so I had already done well to achieve success, and I had a great track record and stellar references. But when I was trying to find a new job at 56, i was told by two recruitment agencies that I stood no chance because (although they'd never put it in writing), all their big clients had an upper age limit of 50 for candidates.  That was a few years ago  now,  but I am told by ex-colleagues that it hasn't changed.

It's highly insulting of you to imply that because I, Quoll and several of our acquaintances have encountered age discrimination, it must be because we were unskilled or bad at our jobs.  What a horrible thing to suggest. I am offended. 

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australians/contents/justice-and-safety

https://www.dewr.gov.au/newsroom/articles/ageism-awareness-workplace

Edited April 8 by Marisawright

[Quoll]

6 hours ago, Ausvisitor said:

That's a very dated view, maybe if your skills are poor and therefore a younger person is as good as you then yes, but for those with actual skills and ability mid 60s is now the normal retirement age.

Your experience may have been different depending on your skills and abilities

There was nothing wrong with my skills and I did very well, thank you. Fortunately never out of a job but the experience of many of my acquaintance was that over 50 was over the hill for finding  a new role. The retirement age has diddly squat to do with it - I know quite a few who had to engage  retirement well before they wanted to. Currently supporting a lady in her mid 50s trying to get back into work - previous public service history, had to quit to care for her sick mother. Now no mother and not much money - skills perfectly fine, aiming for positions well below her capacity - crickets.  It's always much easier to get a new job when you're in a job.

Like Marisa I was surprised to be offered 3 jobs - 2 of them skill based and one because I was a nice friendly person - without applying for any back in UK - where I didn't want to work anyway. The DH was only offered a couple! 

[Nemesis]

13 hours ago, Ausvisitor said:

That's a very dated view, maybe if your skills are poor and therefore a younger person is as good as you then yes, but for those with actual skills and ability mid 60s is now the normal retirement age.

Your experience may have been different depending on your skills and abilities

The last place I worked in Australia had a team of people highly skilled in their field, we were all well-respected for our roles in a niche area of public service, but over the years several people moved on and younger ones joined, with a very different work ethic - usually just "do the job and do home" with no intention of going the extra mile like those of us who'd been there upwards of 10 years. In 2020 one of my colleagues decided to retire for personal reasons. Whilst the bosses were interviewing for a replacement, this statement was overheard by a colleague in another area - "Make sure you employ someone young, we've only got 3 dinosaurs to get rid of now and that shouldn't be too hard."

Said "dinosaurs" were me and 2 Aussies guys, all aged in our late 50s. We all kept our ears to the ground after that, and it soon became clear that the department was doing its best to edge us out by any means, fair or foul. 

Nothing to do with a lack of skills, we were the ones teaching the skills to the newbies. All to do with poorly-disguised ageism.

[Toots]

11 hours ago, Nemesis said:

The last place I worked in Australia had a team of people highly skilled in their field, we were all well-respected for our roles in a niche area of public service, but over the years several people moved on and younger ones joined, with a very different work ethic - usually just "do the job and do home" with no intention of going the extra mile like those of us who'd been there upwards of 10 years. In 2020 one of my colleagues decided to retire for personal reasons. Whilst the bosses were interviewing for a replacement, this statement was overheard by a colleague in another area - "Make sure you employ someone young, we've only got 3 dinosaurs to get rid of now and that shouldn't be too hard."

Said "dinosaurs" were me and 2 Aussies guys, all aged in our late 50s. We all kept our ears to the ground after that, and it soon became clear that the department was doing its best to edge us out by any means, fair or foul. 

Nothing to do with a lack of skills, we were the ones teaching the skills to the newbies. All to do with poorly-disguised ageism.

When I retired, the much younger than me person who replaced me lasted 6 weeks.  The next one lasted a couple of months.  In the end two people were employed to do my job.  The job was very varied and required attention to detail and could be stressful at times as strict time deadlines had to be met which meant working longer hours if necessary.  I had a lovely assistant who worked with me for years but even she couldn't handle working with her new co-workers and found another job.  

I was glad to get out of it as a new CEO arrived not long before I retired and the company merged with another in NZ.  The atmosphere was never the same after.

[Nemesis]

2 hours ago, Toots said:

When I retired, the much younger than me person who replaced me lasted 6 weeks.  The next one lasted a couple of months.  In the end two people were employed to do my job.  The job was very varied and required attention to detail and could be stressful at times as strict time deadlines had to be met which meant working longer hours if necessary.  I had a lovely assistant who worked with me for years but even she couldn't handle working with her new co-workers and found another job.  

I was glad to get out of it as a new CEO arrived not long before I retired and the company merged with another in NZ.  The atmosphere was never the same after.

Sounds very similar to my experience. Bring in the newbies who last 5 minutes, whilst those with the knowledge and experience get sidelined 

[BendigoBoy]

Last two engineers I hired, I just couldn't tolerate the arrogance of the younger folk that were sat in front of me (let alone the absurd salaries they were asking).  Both of the successful applicants were a good few years older than me, had experience I could only dream of, and have been nothing less than stellar performers.

Sadly, this is - in my experience - still an unusual situation in the Australian tech sector.

Which is all the more insane given the number of younglings that go into the field only to burn out or quit after five years because they realise how much hard work is actually involved. Give me a dyed in the wool expert any day of the week over an uppity upstart.

Edited April 10 by BendigoBoy

[Ausvisitor]

I guess my experience is different, it's a structured promotion process and everyone who gets the role starts on the same base pay regardless of age.

So if I'm 50 and there is a wunderkid at 25 we will both be paid the same (give or take - this wouldn't happen in reality it's 20 years to get there) so there is no cost change between the oldie or the youngie

[Marisawright]

4 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

I guess my experience is different, it's a structured promotion process and everyone who gets the role starts on the same base pay regardless of age.

So if I'm 50 and there is a wunderkid at 25 we will both be paid the same (give or take - this wouldn't happen in reality it's 20 years to get there) so there is no cost change between the oldie or the youngie

Nice to see an enlightened employer, but pay is not the whole story, as the examples above show.  If you are not already in the job, and the 25 year old and the 50 year old would cost the same, most employers will pick the 25 year old (strange to say).

[Rossmoyne]

On 10/04/2024 at 06:58, Toots said:

When I retired, the much younger than me person who replaced me lasted 6 weeks.  The next one lasted a couple of months.  In the end two people were employed to do my job.  The job was very varied and required attention to detail and could be stressful at times as strict time deadlines had to be met which meant working longer hours if necessary.  I had a lovely assistant who worked with me for years but even she couldn't handle working with her new co-workers and found another job.  

I was glad to get out of it as a new CEO arrived not long before I retired and the company merged with another in NZ.  The atmosphere was never the same after.

Familiar story sadly.

[TheBs]

Sorry to jump on this, but what about those in their 40s? Assuming time frames by the time we get out I’ll be 40-41 and my husband 45-46.

we have the points as it’s my visa we would apply on so I’m still in the age bracket (just) what about him for finding work? He currently works for the council finance department 

[Marisawright]

5 hours ago, TheBs said:

Sorry to jump on this, but what about those in their 40s? Assuming time frames by the time we get out I’ll be 40-41 and my husband 45-46.

we have the points as it’s my visa we would apply on so I’m still in the age bracket (just) what about him for finding work? He currently works for the council finance department 

He'll find work, he may just not get the chances at promotion that he would in the UK.