Over-60s are told: go back to university and retrain

By Tim Ross. People in their sixties should go to university to retrain because they will be expected to work for longer before retirement, the Government has suggested. Older workers who take courses to keep their skills up to date will be more likely to keep their jobs, claims David Willetts, the higher education minister.
Mr Willetts said the age limit on student loans to cover tuition fees had been lifted, making a degree course “great value” for older people. This would help them cope with the pressure they would face to keep up to date as they worked well into their sixties, he suggested.  His comments followed a government report which found that the country’s future economic success would depend on the skills and contributions of older workers.
Campaigners for the elderly voiced doubts that prospective pensioners would be willing to commit to challenging degree courses and increased levels of debt to continue working. Read more...