Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 65 - April 2025 - Successful reemployment of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan - A basis of lifelong learning experiences

Oct 15, 2026

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The study explores the lifelong learning experiences of successfully reemployed middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 participants examined reasons for reemployment, learning experiences, and the benefits of returning to work. Findings indicate that many adults, especially women, interrupted careers for family reasons and restarted after meeting family goals and for financial needs. Lifelong learning, spanning formal, informal, and non-formal activities, is presented as a key mechanism supporting reentry, confidence, competitiveness, recognition, and career prospects. Recommendations target employment services and policy design.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Social values and labor participation in Taiwan

Reemployment and lifelong learning context

Literature Review

Lifespan development theory and career stages

Study Objectives and Methods

Interview approach and participant focus

Findings and Implications

Reasons for career disruption and learning-driven reentry

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 65, Number 1, April 2025 Successful reemployment of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan: A basis of lifelong learning experiences Ya-Hui Lee National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan Yi-Fen Wang National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Taiwan Reemployment of middle-aged and older adults is important and meaningful in helping them successfully transition and adapt to late adulthood. This study explored the lifelong learning experiences of successfully re-employed middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 middleaged and older adults to understand their reasons for reemployment, their learning experiences, and the Eene¿ts of re-entry into the workplace. The results revealed that middle-aged adults, especially women, interrupted their careers for family reasons. They chose torestart their careers after achieving family goals and for ¿nancial reasons. Lifelong learning is the key to restarting a professional career, including formal, informal, and non-formal learning activities. This study provides ways to assist middle-aged adults to re-enter the workforce or change careers, improve their con¿dence and competitiveness, gain recognition, and expand career prospects. The ¿ndings can Ee used as a reference for employment services to help 104 Ya-Hui Lee and Yi-Fen Wang middle-aged adults re-enter the workforce and for government and related agencies to design re-employment policies for middle-aged adults. Keywords: older adult education, reemployment, lifelong learning Introduction While medical advances have increased the average life expectancy,¿QDQFLDO DQG VHOI􀀐IXO¿OPHQW QHHGV KDYH OHG PRUH PLGGOH􀀐DJHG SHRSOH WR GHOD\ UHWLUHPHQW RU WR UH􀀐HQWHU WKH ZRUNIRUFH 􀀋%DO HW DO􀀑􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀘􀀞/HRPEUXQL 􀀉 9LOORVLR􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀓􀀘􀀌􀀑 0DQ\ FRXQWULHV KDYH HVWDEOLVKHG UHOHYDQW policies encouraging middle-aged people to continue working, including professional continuing education, training, workplace learning, and job redesign. In Taiwan, the Ministry of Labor Taiwan (2022) indicated that the labour force participation rate of the middle-aged was 64.7% LQ 􀀕􀀓􀀕􀀔􀀏 􀀗􀀑􀀖􀀈 PRUH WKDQ 􀀔􀀓 \HDUV DJR DQG LW ZDV LQFUHDVLQJ DQQXDOO\􀀞 76.7% and 53.3% for men and women, respectively, with women LQFUHDVLQJ PRUH WKDQ PHQ􀀑 7KLV SKHQRPHQRQ UHÀHFWV WKH WUHQG RI middle-aged people participating in the labour market, and women FDQ DOVR ¿QG WKHLU RZQ YDOXH LQ WKH ZRUNSODFH􀀑 ,Q UHFHQW \HDUV􀀏 WKH Taiwanese government has implemented incentives and subsidies to increase employers’ willingness to hire middle-aged workers, including introducing the Middle-aged and Elderly Employment Promotion Act, establishing the Region Employment Services Center and the Seniors Workforce Development Service Center, and initiating the Program of Job Redesign for Seniors. However, traditional Chinese social values indicate that women should prioritise their families after marriage. It is the responsibility of women to raise children, take care of their families, and take care of household FKRUHV 􀀋$XVWHQ 􀀉 2QJ􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀓􀀌􀀑 :RPHQ DUH DOVR UHJDUGHG DV WKH SULPDU\ caregivers, with daughters-in-law making up the majority (Van Houtven HW DO􀀑􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀖􀀞 :DQJ HW DO􀀑􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀖􀀌􀀑 :RPHQ DUH SURQH WR FDUHHU LQWHUUXSWLRQV due to family factors. However, about 60% of women return to the workplace once their children grow up and/or their elderly family members pass away and no longer need care (Ministry of Labor Taiwan, 2020) . Successful reemployment of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan: 105 A basis of lifelong learning experiences Relevant studies have shown that the reemployment of middle-aged DGXOWV SRVLWLYHO\ D̆HFWV WKHLU SK\VLFDO DQG PHQWDO KHDOWK DQG OLIHVDWLVIDFWLRQ 􀀋/DQJ􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀕􀀞 7DQJ HW DO􀀑􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀛􀀌􀀑 %RWK IXOO DQG SDUW􀀐WLPH MREV can optimise middle-aged adults’ physical, social, and spiritual wellEHLQJ DQG FRQWULEXWH WR KHDOWK\ DJLQJ 􀀋.DMLWDQL􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀔􀀞 6WDXGLQJHU HW DO􀀑􀀏 2016). While participation in

FAQs

What does the study investigate about reemployment in Taiwan?

It investigates the lifelong learning experiences of middle-aged and older adults who were successfully reemployed, including reasons for reemployment and the benefits of returning to the workplace.

How was the research conducted?

The study used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 middle-aged and older adults.

What role does lifelong learning play in successful reemployment?

Lifelong learning is presented as the key to restarting a professional career, through formal, informal, and non-formal learning activities that support confidence, competitiveness, and expanded career prospects.

Oct 15, 2026

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