SHG has decided to employ persons who are over the age of sixty years and who want to offer their services. Executive Council have given strong support to this idea since staff attrition is such a serious problem.

Many people sixty years and over are more than capable of working and SHG feels that their skills can be put to good use.

Chief Personnel Officer Barbara George said: "St Helena like the UK has an ageing population and with people being generally more aware of good diet and the need to remain fit and healthy, 60 years of age in today’s terms is not as ‘old’ as it once was."

SHG have a number of ideas in relation to employing people over 60 years of age. Full and part time work will be available and people on pensions will also be eligible. A wide range of jobs will be on offer including professional, technical, skilled, semi skilled and unskilled positions.

"By placing emphasis on re-employment of retired people, in addition to keeping the skills we already have on St Helena, we will have a ‘brain gain’ by utilising the skills of St Helenians including those who have worked abroad and who return to the island to retire," said Barbara.

Barbara also said: "It is timely to focus more highly on employment beyond sixty years of age to try and attract people that are necessary for the departments to be able to continue to function and provide good services. People will, of course, still be able to retire at sixty if they wish and this entitlement will remain. We are talking here about voluntary arrangements where people want to work after they are 60."