"Age is not a barrier, it’s an advantage”.

That is the message from Country Home Services operations manager Barb Carlin, who at almost 70-years-old has no plans of slowing down, and certainly no retirement on the immediate horizon.

In fact, it is people just like her, with a wealth of life experience under her belt that she is keen to encourage into the work force to experience the same satisfaction she does in helping people right across the region.

And whether it is for five hours a week, or maybe more, Barb is a firm believer that workers with ‘life experience’ have so much to offer as mature-aged employees in the home care sector.

“The interaction with people is just so rewarding and every day without fail, you know you’ve helped somebody,” she said.

“I’m really pleased to see the latest discussions around letting retirees work more because they have so much to give.

“And you don’t have to be highly-skilled or have a tertiary education, it’s so much about the interpersonal skills.

“It is about going into people’s homes and into their life, and they want somebody they can trust and build a rapport with, someone with similar life experiences who they can have a conversation with.

“So if you can relate to people, listen to them, provide some fairly basic services in most cases, and help people stay engaged with their community, then you’re exactly the type of person we need.”

Click below to read more of Barb's story.

The Local Jobs Program Mid North in partnership with the Yorke Peninsula Advisory Group of COTA SA (Council of the Ageing) are working together to explore opportunities to unlock the unique, hidden potential of older people in the Yorke Peninsula in supporting regional workforce needs.We look forward to engaging with local people and organisations to promote the value of older workers and support older people who offer valuable skills, experience, and knowledge. Barb's story is a great example of the incredible contribution older workers have to our local workforce.