IT suffers from an age-old problem

"I'm over 50 and didn't even take my degree in computer science until I was over 40 and a grandmother to boot. But at interviews I often feel that I'm the token 'oldie', and that companies often don't have any intention of offering me a job."

Computing Technique Forum (CTF) member Molly Mockford isn't alone. Life begins at 40, right? You can still start a family, go trekking over the Himalayas or start your own company. The opportunities are endless - unless you work in IT, it seems.

The industry has a notorious reputation for snubbing skilled IT professionals once they hit the dreaded milestone, and many people claim that employers, on the whole, tend to favour younger candidates. But is it really as bad as everyone thinks?

Recent analysis of the IT labour market, conducted by the Information Technology National Training Organisation (ITNTO), part of the UK government's e-skills NTO, revealed that only 30 per cent of IT professionals are over 45, even though 36 per cent of the UK's workforce fit into the same age bracket.

A hidden problem
"Ageism is a bigger problem in the IT industry than most other sectors, but it's a hidden problem. Companies either don't know it's happening, or they aren't admitting it," said project director John O'Sullivan. "It boils down to lots of misunderstandings - companies claim older staff can't be retrained; they worry about health. But there are real benefits - loyalty, business experience, customer service and the ability to relate IT to business use. Companies need to wake up and realise this."

"People over 40 are being treated as past it," said Clare Curtis, skills manager for Microsoft. "Recruitment practices within the IT industry are very poor." She said employers need to be more flexible about hiring, especially in the light of the IT skills shortage. "The 40-plus group is untapped resource," she added.

John Eary, head of the National Computing Centre's skills source consultancy, said: "There are problems and bad attitudes. New technology is associated with younger, newer people - something that is being reinforced by the dotcom image."

Although it's hard to feel too much sympathy, the recruitment consultants claim their hand is forced by pressure from clients.

Phil Hollingworth, a senior IT recruitment consultant with Westminster IT, said: "Age guidelines are often laid down for us by clients, even those who are equal opportunities employers. They will not take CVs from us for 'older' candidates."

"We are simply told we would be wasting our time with older candidates," he added. "This makes it hard to police as companies can always say that they have interviewed 'stronger candidates' or use some other excuse. That said, our last three placements were programme managers aged at least 45."

Veterans of the IT industry remain unhappy about the situation. Ironically, the wide breadth of experience should be a selling point for the well-rounded older candidates, who may have more in the way of 'soft' skills than technical qualifications. Yet they often get overlooked by agencies looking for a quick sell and valuable skill brands.

New technology fatigue
There's another school of thought that says the issue may not be about age, but about priorities.

"I'm 47 and have worked in IT since graduating in 1975. I can still hold my own with the youngsters in my particular field of expertise, but with the demands of a teenage family and interests outside the IT business, I'm finding it harder to stay focused on the continual battle to refresh my skills," wrote one CTF member.

It seems that new technology fatigue - the effect of solving the same problems over and over again - may be to blame. The technology may change, but people don't move at the same rate, and it's difficult to motivate yourself to solve a problem which you feel you've seen umpteen times before.

"This is what often makes it difficult to retrain us olduns," said the CTF member. "We may be working on something new, but we know that we will see the same old issues raise their ugly heads again sooner or later."

But there is some good news. The research also shows that the 50 to 54 and 60-plus age groups have seen the biggest growth between 1994 and 1998 - 79 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively.

"I have always found something, even if it may take me a little longer than those younger than me," said Mockford. "There are still companies out there willing to ignore a person's age. I have joined a company where the average age is around 24, and my line manager comes to work on his skateboard!"

The government has already condemned ageist employment practices. A report entitled Winning the Generation Game, published in April by the Performance and Innovation unit, rejected the notion that older people should give way to young blood.

From a legal perspective, however, there's still some way to go. Colina Greenway, a director in the employment law practice at IT law firm Kay Legal, said: "The government has issued a statement of best practice and it's raising the issue on the agenda, but it's not promising legislation."

Although a European framework directive on ageism is in the process of being ratified, Greenway warns it could be years before country specific legislation is passed.

"At the moment there's no legal resource. In the short term there's little you can do other than apply some moral pressure or lie about your age, but obviously as a lawyer I can't recommend that!"