Researchers agree that millions
of baby boomers will work longer than their parents, but what kind of work will
they do? Many say they want work that provides income, impact, and meaning, while
improving the quality of life in their communities, but where will they find it?
Civic Ventures, a think
tank and program incubator helping society achieve the greatest return on experience,
today announced the winners of the first- ever BreakThrough Award, designed
to shine a spotlight on the nonprofit and public sector organizations that are
providing meaningful public interest jobs for people over 50. The new award,
funded by MetLife Foundation, honors 10 nonprofits and public sector agencies
located in large and small communities across the country.
"These organizations
are at the forefront of what promises to be a critical transformation of our
workforce, economy and ability to meet social needs," said Phyllis Segal,
vice president of Civic Ventures. "BreakThrough Award winners are leading
the way when it comes to bringing both money and meaning to longer working lives
and serving as models for other organizations seeking to tap into this experienced
talent pool. These employers recognize that new approaches to recruiting and
retaining older employees can help them deliver on their critical missions."
The announcement comes the
same day as a report from The Conference Board about labor challenges facing
nonprofits. The report finds that while nonprofit growth outpaces other sectors,
talent shortages are already affecting critical service areas, including healthcare
and social services. As boomers continue to retire, the report states, leadership
shortages will worsen, threatening the sector’s ability to carry out its social
purpose mission.
"Action is needed now,"
said Jill Casner-Lotto, author of The Conference Board report. "Evidence
suggests that nonprofits are seriously lagging behind the government and private
sectors in efforts to retain skilled potential retirees within their organizations
and actively recruit older hires from other sectors."
"Society cannot afford
to watch millions of skilled boomers disappear from the workforce," said
Sibyl Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "Fortunately,
we know that many older Americans want to keep working, but they want to do
new types of work on different terms with strong social benefits. The BreakThrough
Award winners demonstrate new ways to productively connect employer, employees
and society."
One of the key qualities
that winners share is flexibility, which includes offering part-time positions,
varied workday schedules, telecommuting, on-site child (and grandchild) care,
labor union membership and the ability to shape positions to fit skills and
schedules. Employers that accommodated the schedules, commutes and other needs
of their workers were more effective at recruiting, hiring, utilizing and retaining
employees. As a result, some winners report lower turnover rates and less absenteeism
for employees over 50 compared with younger counterparts. Other winners report
that older workers — because of fuller life experiences — are often better
at handling crises and interpersonal issues.
The winners, which include
employers and organizations that match those over 50 to employment opportunities,
are as follows:
Allied Coordinated Transportation
Services, Inc. (Lawrence County, PA)
Employing experienced drivers
over 50 to drive older adults, the sick and disabled, and children whose mothers
are in welfare-to-work programs to appointments and to school.
Leesburg Regional Medical
Center and The Villages Regional Hospital (Leesburg, FL)
Providing quality health
care to the people of central Florida by recruiting and retaining experienced
hospital staff through flexible work schedules.
Mature Worker Connection,
a program of the Pima Council on Aging (Pima County, AZ)
Recruiting and placing workers
over age 50 for flexible jobs. One third of its placements are in the nonprofit
and public sectors.
Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency
of the Bluegrass, Inc. (Lexington, KY)
Employing people over 50
in paid, part-time ombudsmen jobs to provide advocacy and support for residents
in long-term care facilities.
Older Workers Leading Success,
a program of Cleveland Metroparks (Cleveland, OH)
Employing people over 50
in part-time or seasonal jobs within Cleveland MetroParks, the government agency
that operates city parks and recreational facilities.
Rainbow Intergenerational
Child Care Program, a program of the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition
Centers of Dade County (Miami, FL)
Engaging older adults as
state-certified child care workers, providing reliable, culturally-enriching
care for preschoolers in Little Havana.
ReServe, Inc. (New York,
NY)
Matching people over 50
with paying, part-time jobs in nonprofit and public sectors agencies in the
New York City area.
Retiree Work Opportunities
Program, The University of California, Berkeley Retirement Center (Berkeley,
CA)
Connecting UC-Berkeley retirees
— who have institutional knowledge and proven skills — with departments looking
to fill part-time and temporary vacancies on campus.
Troops to Teachers (Washington,
D.C.)
Providing 10,000 retired
service personnel opportunities for second careers as public school teachers.
The YMCA of Greater Rochester
(Rochester, NY)
Recruiting and retaining
employees over 50 in one of the country’s largest YMCAs. Older employees match
the needs of older Y members and serve as mentors for younger staff.
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