IN 2005, Mr Olivero Albert Winston was retrenched from his job as a courier at the age of 64.

For three years, he could not find another job as employers had reservations about his age and lack of paper qualifications.

'I pored through the newspapers every day looking for work, but when the bosses saw me, they could only apologise and say they were looking for younger, better-qualified workers,' said Mr Olivero, who has a Secondary 4 education.

The turning point came last year when the staff at the North West Community Development Council recommended that he go for skills training at the Employment and Employability Institute in Redhill.

There, he joined the Employability Camp Plus and picked up interview skills and confidence-boosting techniques.

Confident and ready to tackle the demands of the new working world, he secured a job as a delivery driver and now earns around $1,500 a month.

'Even though I am old, I want to continue working to keep myself fit and mentally alert,' said Mr Olivero.

'Thankfully, I have that opportunity now.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 2, 2008.