Program Gives Older Workers Skills To Re-Enter Work Force

Peg Swanson is ready to make a move. The 59-year-old divorced mother of two is preparing to re-enter the work force – a particular challenge since she has been out of work for two years recuperating from several surgeries.

 

In March, Swanson decided to enroll in Operation A.B.L.E.’s Senior Community Service Employment Program. Operation A.B.L.E. promotes employment and training opportunities for individuals who represent economically, racially and occupationally diverse populations age 45 and older. The SCEP programs targets low-income individuals age 55 and older and provides them with on-the-job training. Joan Cirillo, executive director of Operation A.B.L.E., said many older workers trying to re-enter the work force face the challenge of applying for jobs in a new age of technology. With many employers requiring candidates to apply via the Internet and job seekers turning to the Internet to search for jobs on career Web sites such as Monster.com or Career Builder.com, older workers are having to relearn how to write resumes tailored to job site search engines. “It is a challenge facing older workers who have been out of the work force for several years, whether it was to raise a family or because of an injury,” Cirillo said.

 

Mature workers, she added, often become upset because they don’t receive direct confirmation just that an employer even received an application when applying online.  “It seems like it just disappeared into the abyss,” she said.  Swanson said she is familiar with those challenges, but that working in the SCSEP program has helped her regain her confidence. “I’m tired now,” she said, “but it’s a good tired. Before it was a bored tired”.

 

The need to train and retain older workers is prevalent. A report issued by Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies found that New England’s aging work force could stall economic development and job growth in the future. James Brett, president and CEO of the New England Council, said in the press release that as the baby boomer generation enters retirement age, New England employers will become increasingly dependent on older workers to meet the demand for skilled workers. Brett also said the ability to retain and recapture these older workers in the labor force will be critical to the long-term economic prosperity of the region.

 

One company is already targeting older workers. Eons.com is a Web site that targets the baby boomer generation, age 45 and older, according to Ann Dulong, a human resource generalist for Eons.com. The Web site has attended both of A.B.L.E.’s career fairs in an attempt to attract mature workers to the company.  Econs.com is a media and lifestyle company started by Jeff Taylor, who created Monster.com. “He wanted to create a web site for folks to help them create the next phase of their life,” Dulong said.  Part of that vision, she said, is to hire individuals from the pool of talented older workers. “One of the goals was to attend the Operation A.B.L.E. work fair,” she added.  Dulong, who has been with the company since October, said that in the short time she has been there, Eons.com has been one of her favorite places to work. 

“They treat employees well and everyone’s opinion matters,” she added.

 

Swanson, who attended Operation A.B.L.E.,’s job fair, said she found it beneficial to her to see the different opportunities that are available. Cirillo also urges mature workers re-entering the work force to brush up on computer skills. Cirillo said one woman who sought help from Operation A.B.L.E. applied for a job as a bank teller and had to answer more than 100 questions online before even applying for the position.  She suggests seeking out training opportunities available at Operation A.B.L.E., or at a One Stop Career Center in Massachusetts. Cirillo said Operation A.B.L.E. works closely with the centers to offer training needed to jump-start one’s career. “Find a program with a small class that allows for one-on-one training with an instructor,” Cirillo suggested