Austrade says travelling older Australians can fill short-term and casual work industry roles

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is undertaking a promotion highlighting that older and mature-age Australians travelling the country may be appropriate to fill short-term or casual working roles in tourism and related industries.

Mindful of employment vacancies across the leisure industry and that changes to the Federal Government’s Work Bonus arrangements allow mature-age and older workers to earn additional income, Austrade advise that this “gives older Australians greater flexibility to work and earn more without affecting their age pension”.

With a focus on tourism, Austrade information advises that tourism provides many opportunities for casual or temporary work around the country.

The Austrade website cites the example of Bill and Jenni Holmes - respectively, a retired paramedic and nurse - travelling Australia in their caravan as ‘grey nomads’.

Finding it hard living on their superannuation alone, they decided to look for seasonal work as they travelled and worked for travel bus company.

The Austrade website has Bill Holmes explain “in the bus, you’re not doing the same thing every day.

“The people are different, the landscape is different. You don’t know what you’re going to do from one day to the next.

“Because we’re all living in a small town, the other tourism workers become your social group too.

“It’s easy to do if you enjoy it. And employers are now starting to realise the benefits of hiring older workers.”

Citing the benefits of short-term and casual working roles as including it being social, seasonal and sometimes inclusive of accommodation and/or meals, Austrade steer interested parties to the Service Australia website.

Click here for more information.

Image: Bill and Jenni Holmes. Credit: Austrade.