Keep going: career perspectives on ageing and masculinity of self-employed tradesmen in Australia

Abstract

The ageing workforce has implications for skills retention and equity in construction and ageing of self-employed tradesmen. The aims here were to define older tradesmen and present their experience of ageing along with the implications for masculinity. Ageing, the ageing workforce and construction management informed this conversation about diversity and skills shortages, how tradesmen negotiate ageing, the way it is perceived and how it impacts on masculinity. A phenomenological research design, with 20, in-depth interviews from independent tradesmen was deployed. Older tradesman defined themselves by physical capacity to work, rather than chronological age. Self-initiated strategies increased longevity and consisted of work adjustments such as paying for extra labour and machines and scheduling less onerous work. If widely adopted, such accommodations for the mainstream construction workforce might shift the masculine culture of the industry for specific equity groups. There were numerous possibilities for alternative work, but many disadvantages were identified. Suggestions for the industry about retention included self-care and personalized work adjustments. Recommendations for individuals included proactively planning retirement, particularly in terms of superannuation and other non-housing investment alternatives.