The new rural property expert for One Agency Real Estate is among older workers defying trends highlighted in a report that said employers were “discriminating” against workers over 55. 

“I have been working here for three months,” Mr Gander said.

He said his experience and contacts had been valuable to employers.

“I know nothing about computers, I’ve never had anything to do with them.”

But he said younger staff had always been happy to assist him.

“They seem to accept you, they don’t care.”

Mr Gander has worked in everything from managing large farms to selling water tanks, a postal run, operating a pub, being a psychiatric nurse and real estate.

“I retired for about six months and I couldn’t stand sitting around.”

One Agency director/sales specialist Ash Brown said Mr Gander had brought experience and knowledge.

“Experience is everything, it doesn’t matter how old you are,” he said.

“He knows everybody, he knows everything about rural property.

“It’s invaluable for us to have that in our agency.”

Sue Tom is a mature-aged worker who has been in sales at Collins Booksellers in Summer Street since 2007, first full time and now two days a week.

Mrs Tom said she had picked up computer skills.

“You learn things fairly quickly if you have good guidance,” she said.

Mrs Tom said she found work through word of mouth.

“That’s the value of working in Orange,” she said.

Joblink Plus Orange business manager Ebonie Jayne said they had 25 people aged 55-65 looking for work, about 20 per cent of their clients.

Miss Jayne said many lacked computer skills.

The Regional Australia Institute [RAI] has warned the country was at risk of a pension crisis unless more was done to encourage bosses to hire workers over 55.

Its report said the number of older people was accelerating in regional areas faster than metropolitan areas.

In Orange the census figures show the number of people aged 55-64 has risen from 4268 [11.3 per cent of the population] in 2011 to 4645 [11.5 per cent] in 2016.

However, the latest workforce figures show the percentage of people 55-64 working in Orange [61.1 per cent] is above the national average [59.8 per cent] and Central West  [55.5 per cent].