Alliance for an Experienced Workforce

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, more than twenty industry associations representing over five million businesses, announced the formation today of the Alliance for an Experienced Workforce. The Alliance, led by AARP, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the American Petroleum Institute, will promote solution-based strategies for recruiting and retaining 50-plus workers and plan for the demographic challenges that face this country in the years ahead.

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« Our research shows retaining an experienced workforce is smart business, » said AARP CEO Bill Novelli, who serves as vice chair of the Alliance. « That’s why all of these industry leaders are coming together to share strategies on how to recruit and retain the boomer workforce. »

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Because of the demographic shift expected by the retirement of the baby boom generation, many employers are planning now to retain a competitive advantage as the labor market tightens. The Alliance will cultivate industry-specific 50-plus worker best practices on issues including benefits, workplace design, and recruitment strategies.

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AARP hopes for the Alliance to serve as a catalyst for bringing government, employers and employees together to help and encourage workers to stay on the job.

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Novelli noted, « AARP committed on behalf of our more than 10 million boomer members to raising the visibility of this issue. » In addition to the work with the Alliance, AARP is commissioning research such as the recently-released report The Business Case for Workers Age 50-plus: Planning for Tomorrow’s Talent Needs in Today’s Competitive Environment and continuing to build relationships with companies that are active in recruiting and retaining 50-plus workers, such as Home Depot and Borders.

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The member organizations of the Alliance include:

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— AARP

— American Association of Community Colleges

— American Hospital Association

— American Hotel & Lodging Association

— American Petroleum Institute

— American Society of Association Executives

— American Staffing Association

— American Trucking Associations

— Association of Community College Trustees

— Business and Professional Women/USA

— Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)

— Easter Seals

— Information Technology Association of America

— NAACP

— National Association of Chain Drug Stores

— National Association of Workforce Boards

— National Federation of Independent BusinessNation

— National Restaurant Association

— National Retail Federation

— Society for Human Resource Management

— Truckload Carriers Association

— U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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For more information on the Alliance or to view the AARP- commissioned report, The Business Case for Workers Age 50-plus: Planning for Tomorrow’s Talent Needs in Today’s Competitive Environment, visit http://www.aarp.org/alliance.

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AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50-plus have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. ;