Why workforce policy must connect people, skills and opportunity across every stage of working life. The UK's October 2026 Budget brought renewed attention to employment, skills, productivity and the changing demands of the labour market. Investment in apprenticeships, workforce development and artificial intelligence reflects a recognition that the UK economy needs to adapt, yet, beyond the individual measures, a more fundamental challenge remains…are we designing workforce policies around the realities of how people now enter, progress through and eventually leave working life? At the Age Diversity Forum (ADF), we believe this question deserves much greater attention. A collection of initiatives is not a workforce strategy Ahead of the Budget, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) called for a coherent national workforce strategy, arguing that skills, economic inactivity, employment regulation, management capability and artificial intelligence are too frequently addressed as separate policy challenges…it is a position we recognise. Consider [...]

Budget 2026 - Why Britain's economic future depends on a multigenerational workforce The Age Diversity Forum calls for generational inclusion to become a recognised priority in UK employment and economic policy. The UK Government's Budget 2026 places renewed emphasis on employment, skills, productivity and economic growth. These are essential priorities for a country navigating technological change, evolving workforce requirements and significant pressures on public finances. The Age Diversity Forum (ADF) welcomes measures designed to increase employment opportunities, develop skills and support economic participation, however, we believe the Budget also highlights a fundamental question that deserves greater attention from policymakers and business leaders…can the UK fully realise its economic potential without a coherent strategy for engaging, developing and retaining talent across every working generation? Our view is clear, a genuinely multigenerational workforce must become a central consideration in the UK's employment and economic strategy. Looking beyond individual generations The Budget confirms [...]

Why meaningful age inclusion requires more than policies, positive intentions and organisational commitments. Many organisations recognise the importance of creating inclusive workplaces. Commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion are increasingly reflected in corporate values, employment policies, leadership statements and workforce strategies. Yet recognising the importance of inclusion and having the organisational capability to deliver it are two different things. This distinction is particularly relevant to age inclusion. An organisation may express a commitment to supporting employees across generations, but how does it know whether that commitment is reflected in recruitment, development, progression and everyday working practices? And perhaps more importantly, how does it know whether those practices are delivering meaningful results? The challenge is no longer simply encouraging organisations to recognise age inclusion, it is helping them understand whether they have the capability to put it into practice. The difference between ambition and delivery New research from the Chartered Institute [...]

As artificial intelligence transforms work, are organisations protecting the opportunities through which people develop knowledge, judgement and experience? Artificial intelligence is changing not only how work is performed, but also how people acquire the knowledge and experience needed to perform it effectively. Much of the current debate focuses on productivity, automation and the potential displacement of jobs. These are important considerations, however, another issue is beginning to emerge…if AI increasingly performs the tasks through which employees traditionally develop their expertise, how will organisations prepare the next generation of experienced professionals? This question has significant implications for workforce development, career progression and knowledge transfer. It also challenges some familiar assumptions about age and technological capability. At the Age Diversity Forum (ADF), we believe this developing conversation reinforces an important principle: the relationship between AI and the workforce should not be understood primarily as a generational divide. It is fundamentally a question [...]

Why organisations need to look beyond recruitment and rethink how they recognise, develop and use the capabilities already within their workforces. Skills shortages have become a familiar feature of the global employment conversation. Across industries and economies, employers continue to report difficulties finding people with the capabilities they need. Demographic change, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and evolving business requirements are adding further pressure. Yet alongside these recruitment challenges, another question deserves greater consideration…are organisations making full use of the skills, knowledge and experience already available to them? New international research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) offers a timely opportunity to examine this question. And for the Age Diversity Forum (ADF), it reinforces an increasingly important argument, that workforce capability cannot be understood through recruitment figures or chronological age alone. We need to look more closely at how organisations recognise talent, support development and create opportunities throughout [...]

Why international organisations need a consistent approach to understanding age inclusion across countries, cultures and career stages. For multinational organisations, managing a workforce across different countries involves navigating a complex combination of cultures, employment regulations, economic conditions and organisational priorities. Yet beneath these differences, many of the fundamental challenges surrounding age inclusion are remarkably familiar. Age-related assumptions, access to skills development, career progression, knowledge transfer and the sustainability of working lives are issues that can affect employees across geographical boundaries. The challenge for international employers is not simply recognising these shared concerns. It is establishing a consistent understanding of how effectively their organisations respond to them. At the Age Diversity Forum (ADF), our experience of working with international organisations is reinforcing an important principle, that age inclusion requires global consistency in thinking, alongside an informed understanding of local workforce realities. A shared challenge across international workforces The international conversation around [...]