Older workers are being routinely ignored by employers when it comes to training, according to a personal development expert, despite a rise in employment among people of retirement-age.

Doug Tucker, managing director of Sales Commando, which does business in the UK, Europe, Middle East and US, said older workers are “consistently overlooked” in favour of young people.

“My team and I have noticed that it is not uncommon for older people to be routinely overlooked - purely, it can be assumed, as there are no other variables, because of their age - if there are a limited number of training places," he said.

He described the problem as “depressingly commonplace”.

Organisations in the UK employ around 300,000 people over the age of 70, while 1.54 people of pensionable age are still in work.

That compares with only 753,000 people 20 years ago. The figures are also reflected in Europe and the US, said Mr Tucker.

He added: “We’re all working in an ever-changing sales arena that requires evolutionary sales training. And that’s for everybody, at every age.”