Management and organisational barriers in the acquisition of computer usage skills by mature age workers.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate workplace cultures in the acquisition of computer usage skills by mature age workers.


METHODS
Data were gathered through focus groups conducted at job network centres in the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region. Participants who took part were a mixture of workers and job-seekers.


RESULTS
The results suggest that mature age workers can be exposed to inappropriate computer training practices and age-insensitive attitudes towards those with low base computer skills.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for managers to be observant of ageist attitudes in the work place and to develop age-sensitive strategies to help mature age workers learn computer usage skills. Mature age workers also need to develop skills in ways which are practical and meaningful to their work.
Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia. m.keogh@qut.edu.au
Mark
M
Keogh
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003142:Communication; D003200:Computer User Training / Q000379:methods*; D004651:Employment; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010379:Peer Group; D011287:Prejudice; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014829:Vocational Education / Q000379:methods