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Considering the Learning Needs of Older Learners – Design and Delivery
By Nancy Cobb

Many PMMI Certified Trainers are not instructional designers or even full-time dedicated trainers, yet they are faced with challenging training issues each time they enter their customer’s plants. One such challenge is how to address the learning needs of older trainees.

Although widespread workforce reductions seem to be rampant in the U.S., the reality is that there will be a dramatic shortage of workers in the near future, especially in manufacturing. Dept. of Labor statistics show trends of a labor shortage in the U.S. of over 10 million by 2010. Trainers are probably already seeing the shortage of good maintenance staff. Companies will be looking for ways to keep Boomers who might otherwise retire in the near future. For this reason, it is particularly important to learn more about the older worker since you wi’ll be seeing more and more of them in your training sessions.

People often make the mistake of generalizing that older workers are slower at picking up new concepts, “too afraid” of new technology or just too close to retirement to care about learning. However, research has provided evidence that mental decline is not a consequence of aging (Cusack, Thompson & Rogers). To help you address training the older learners, first consider their learning needs and barriers and then utilize some of the recommendations listed below when you are on the job.

Learning Needs

A study done by Purdie & Boulton-Lewis identifies the top learning needs of older learners as:

Technical skills and knowledge related to their specific job, such as how to operate their computer, or in our case, the HMIs (Human Machine Interface) and life needs such as how to use the ATMs, VCR, email, etc.
Health and safety management, especially when health problems affect their working and living capabilities.
Leisure and entertainment as it factors in to learning new skills to adapt to their personal capabilities or as they approach retirement.

Learning Barriers

It is important to understand what the learning barriers are that may inhibit the learning needs of an older worker being met.

Physical problems such as reduced mobility, illness and degenerating sight and hearing. This issue has been discussed in class, especially as it relates to fonts used in training materials and HMI screens. Not being able to sit for a long period of time, poor hearing and arthritic knees all may interfere with your training process. Recommendations: Use no smaller than 12 pt. font on all training documents, use as many visuals and job aids as possible and alter activities so that the trainees are not sitting or standing for long periods of time.
Cognitive matters such as not being able to remember sequential procedures as well, not being able to concentrate for extended periods of time and some learning disabilities that have never been addressed are additional learning barriers. Recommendations: Teach in small chunks, use easy-to-follow job breakdown job aids that show the steps, make sure they have copies of the aids to refer to, reinforce the steps many times through hands-on practice.
Less confidence in their ability to learn then they might have had when they were younger, especially as the information relates to technology is a psychological learning barrier. Recommendations: Try to relate the new technology to what they already know so they can see the similarities and reduce the fear. Have trainees tell stories about other new things they had to learn and how they got over the learning hump to illustrate their past successes. Have good job aids and allow for a lot of practice. Offer constant positive feedback after each small step.
Discrimination is an issue that older workers cannot control, whatever their experience or interest level. Studies show that while many employers prefer older workers’ expertise, stability and loyalty, these same employers tend to hire and spend more on training the younger employees. Employers openly discriminate because they feel that older workers have age-related issues or lacked motivation to learn new things. These discriminatory practices present learning barriers in older adults by creating a low sense of self-worth and the perception that they are no longer needed. They are led to believe that they can no longer learn or contribute. Research on training for older adults suggests that their perceived incompetence may not be due to age, but to lack of opportunity for proper training and poor training design (Koopman-Boyden & MacDonald). Recommendation: Examine your own perception of older learners to make sure you are not discriminating by spending less time with them or not trying to design or deliver training that addresses their needs. They probably have a vast amount of experience and knowledge, so take advantage of that by allowing them to share and remember to give them the respect they deserve.

Maintaining an educated and skilled older workforce, or a workforce of any age has its challenges. To address the particular issues described above, it is critical to invest in the older members and ensure that they get the same opportunities for education and training as the younger members of your workforce.