Fancy a life change? Many people do in their forties or fifties. At a time when most people will be working longer and so need more lifelong learning, this issue is rapidly rising up the skills agenda.

However, there are often practical problems, not just about skills. Unionlearn was a partner in the Mid-life Career Review Project, which was originated and lead by NIACE and funded by BIS. The project aimed to develop and test different models of working with people to review their plans for life and career. The reviews give individuals the opportunity to take stock, review their options and plan their future.

Unionlearn made a significant contribution to the Mid-life Career Review Project by engaging 15 unions, with more than 100 Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) and 770 workers in mid-life review activities. Many workers found the mid-life career review a valuable reflective tool to take stock of their skills, knowledge and experience.

A substantial body of evidence exists that shows people over the age of 50 exiting the labour market find it more difficult to re-enter. The mid-life career review can help prepare workers be more resilient to labour market challenges they face in the future. This type of intervention can be an important preventative measure in helping mid-life and older workers remain in the labour market by supporting them to update their skills and progress in their current workplace or to make a career change.

A substantial body of evidence exists that shows people over the age of 50 exiting the labour market find it more difficult to re-enter. The mid-life career review can help prepare workers be more resilient to labour market challenges they face in the future.

In France, everyone has an entitlement to a mid-life career review at the age of 47. Unionlearn wants to see a similar entitlement implemented in the UK, and is working with Niace, The Age and Employment Network, unions and other partners to campaign for this.

Unionlearn would like to see people have the right to a mid-life career review when they reach their 50th birthday. This birthday is an important milestone in people's lives and would be an appropriate transition stage for them to take stock, consider options and move forward in a positive way. This should not preclude workers from having an entitlement to Career Reviews at other key transition points, such as redundancy and returning from long term caring, so they can make informed choices about the investment they make in their development.

The potential benefits to employers in supporting mid-life career reviews are great. Employees will be more motivated to stay with the employer and to take up training offers and new opportunities at work to develop new skills, knowledge, and experience to benefit the organisation. This can result in reduced staff turnover, recruitment and training costs. Mature workers can provide mentoring and pass on their skills and experience to younger staff. Knowledge transfer within the organisation is made easier and the organisation can develop and grow its own talent and management teams.

The success of the mid-life career review project has shown there is both a need and a demand for this process, and to a large extent, learning opportunities and skill development can address these needs. There is no lack of aspiration among working people but a lack of intensive, experienced support to motivate and encourage them. The project has shown the need for good quality advice and guidance on a broad range of topics.

The profile and awareness of the importance of careers advice and guidance has lessened recently and could be re-launched under this banner alongside the campaign to have an entitlement to a review of working life. One of the achievements of the career review project has been to stimulate the peer support role. In the case of unionlearn, this is the central role of the trade union representative working together with a range of experts to develop effective holistic approaches.

Mid-life career reviews should become a natural and routine process, like dental or health check-ups. This is about "starting a conversation", about discussing careers in the workplace in the context of the whole of people's lives. People don't get enough chances to talk about themselves in a positive way and it can be very exciting to discover that someone is taking an interest and it is not too late to make a change or take up new opportunities.

Career reviews give people a space to think, take stock, reflect and locate specialist help. Linking structured career reviews to a new Personal Skills Account would provide adults with the power to take control of their own skills, putting personalisation and individual choice at the heart of the skills system. A wider offer to workers of a timely career review and the development of a Personal Skills Account, supported by their ULR and employer, is a dynamic and effective model for empowering workers to take control of their learning, allowing them to transform their work and life chances.

Union involvement in the delivery of mid-life career reviews has demonstrated yet again, the unique value of the ULR as a trusted intermediary in the workplace, reaching those who may be disadvantaged or vulnerable in the workplace, recognising that the aspirations of all working people are important and that everyone can develop their skills and make progress in their lives.