K – Knowledge                                                                               

E – Experience

S – Skills

T – Training

R – Respect

E – Empowerment

L-   Lifelong learning

GEMS NI is delighted to announce that we have received funding support from The Atlantic Philanthropies for the 3 year Kestrel Project which aims engender lasting change in the lives of older adults who are disadvantaged and vulnerable through the Kestrel “Age Positive” threefold objective:

1. Helping older people who experience labour market disadvantage to increase their employability, engage in learning and development opportunities and   develop their employment and volunteering opportunities.

1. Working with employers to improve how older people in the workplace are valued, how their career development needs and career progression opportunities are met and how change is managed.

1. Exploring how personal succession planning can support, encourage and enable older people who are considering retirement from paid employment to challenge their own perceptions on ageing and  create opportunities for lifelong learning and improved health and wellbeing

Kestrel Aims

Kestrel aims to make a meaningful difference to the experience and opportunities available to people in the 50 plus age range as both job seekers and employees and also in determining their choice of next steps following employment.

Kestrel objectives

To provide opportunities for people in the 50 plus age range to improve their employment prospects though engagement in age-positive careers guidance and personal mentoring support and access to training and development opportunities which consolidate their existing skills knowledge and experience and create personal learning pathways to support career aspirations and develop choices and alternatives when continuing in a certain job is not an option due to for example an age-onset health condition.

• Individuals will be supported to develop a personal development plan based on their needs, capabilities and aspirations

• Employers will be encouraged to see the potential to recruit valuable members of their workforce from the 50+ target group.

• Employers will be encouraged provide work placements, employment and volunteering opportunities

To support the continued career development and lifelong learning of people in the 50 plus age range in their employment context

• To embed the ethos, values, ethics and practice principles that underpin the Kestrel Project with employers, share the experience and knowledge of working with the 50+ target group.

• To undertake research and analysis and evaluate the findings and outcomes to inform  and have a positive impact on policy and practice and the development of age positive workplaces

To Develop, Publish and Promote Best Practice Guidelines for:

·        Kestrel Age-Positive Careers Guidance and Mentoring for unemployed older people

·        Kestrel Age-Positive Vocational Education and Training (Training the Trainers) working with older people in the workplace

·        Kestrel Age-Positive Human Resources Management of the career development and learning needs of older people in the workplace

·        Kestrel Age-Positive Workplace Standards for leadership and management (ideally linked to Investors in People Leadership and Management Model)