The technology workforce is changing.
As coding classes get younger and younger, it’s becoming commonly understood that you’re never too young to start in tech. It’s also true that you’re really never too old to work in tech, or even to start a new career in the field. But that’s something that seems to be less easy to understand, to the detriment of technologists who break into tech in their 40s or later.
It’s something the industry is going to have to deal with. By 2026, workers 65 and older are projected to have the fastest growth in the US labor force. And yet, a 2018 AARP survey found that three in five workers aged 45 and over have either witnessed age discrimination or experienced it themselves.
What does ageism in tech look like? Technical.ly talked to some over-45 technologists about their experiences, and why the industry needs to respect its elders.
Assumptions about older tech students
Most nonprofit coding cohorts are pretty diverse by design, and while they may skew to include learners in their 20s and 30s, it’s common for cohorts to include a couple of students age 45 and older. These students may be pivoting in their careers, starting new careers in the empty nest phase of their lives, or, as is especially common in the pandemic era, have found themselves unemployed and in need of a jump start in their tech skills.
Continue reading: https://technical.ly/2022/02/07/ageism-in-tech/
As coding classes get younger and younger, it’s becoming commonly understood that you’re never too young to start in tech. It’s also true that you’re really never too old to work in tech, or even to start a new career in the field. But that’s something that seems to be less easy to understand, to the detriment of technologists who break into tech in their 40s or later.
It’s something the industry is going to have to deal with. By 2026, workers 65 and older are projected to have the fastest growth in the US labor force. And yet, a 2018 AARP survey found that three in five workers aged 45 and over have either witnessed age discrimination or experienced it themselves.
What does ageism in tech look like? Technical.ly talked to some over-45 technologists about their experiences, and why the industry needs to respect its elders.
Assumptions about older tech students
Most nonprofit coding cohorts are pretty diverse by design, and while they may skew to include learners in their 20s and 30s, it’s common for cohorts to include a couple of students age 45 and older. These students may be pivoting in their careers, starting new careers in the empty nest phase of their lives, or, as is especially common in the pandemic era, have found themselves unemployed and in need of a jump start in their tech skills.
Continue reading: https://technical.ly/2022/02/07/ageism-in-tech/
