Older Workers Flocked To Mature Job Fair

ABINGDON, Va. – Help wanted: must be at least 50 years old.

That was the primary qualification on Thursday for Southwest Virginia’s first Employ the Older Workers Job Fair.

About two dozen participating employers were a bit overwhelmed when the doors of the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator opened. The event, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., drew nearly 150 job-seekers in just the first hour.

"I was laid off last week, but I plan to work a while," said 58-year-old Darlene Sturgill. "I’ve been working all my life, but I don’t think the reason I’m here today is my age. I’m here looking for full-time work, and I know it’s out there, I just have to look.

"Besides, I think a lot of employers are looking to hire older people."

Experience Works and the Virginia Employment Commission organized Thursday’s event in response to an aging work force and tightening labor market. Originally named Green Thumb, Experience Works was established in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson to provide job placement for poor, rural farmers. Since then, the organization has evolved to include a variety of programs to help older workers enter the work force, find more challenging positions, change careers or supplement their incomes.

About 65 percent of the Southwest Virginia work force is older than 45 and 35 percent are over 55, said Robert Frank, Experience Works Virginia employment and training coordinator.

"I think the demand is such that employers have to look to older people," Frank said. "And there’s a good deal of people here that are part of our program."

In America today, those over 40 make up a third of the population, he added.

"The size of the younger generation is smaller, and older people have a reputation for showing up and performing their tasks," he said. "And of course, everybody is financially challenged. The older people’s pensions and Social Security isn’t covering expenses, so they really seem to have a sense of purpose when they come to us."

Rebecca Riffe, 55, said baby boomers like her are going to have to work longer.

"I don’t think we did a very good job of saving," she said. "We put a lot of debt on our credit cards and incurred a lot of other debt. But baby boomers and older people are bored, I think, they’re ready to work."

Riffe said the rapid rise in technology and its use in the workplace has worked against older employees. Age discrimination also is a problem, she said.

"Employers want to ask how old I am – I can tell," she said. "All they have to do is look at my resume."

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2000, 13 percent of the U.S. work force was 55 and older. By 2010, that figure likely will increase to 17 percent, according to the bureau.

Meanwhile, the American Association of Retired Persons reports that nearly seven out of 10 workers ages 45-74 say they plan to work in some capacity during retirement.

T. David Jarvis, a Virginia Employment Commission adviser, called the turnout Thursday "awesome" and said the older crowd came to the fair because they were "looking for their niche" at this point in their lives.

"There’s a common link among these people in that most of them are looking for something they have a passion for," he said. "It used to be you would sit down eye-to-eye for job interviews or when doing business. Nowadays, technology can be a barrier, but I’m surprised at the people here today that are familiar with it."

Most workers, young or old, need some training to gain skills. But the good news for businesses that are senior friendly is that these workers tend to be very stable and dedicated, said Debbie Cuddy, a Kmart representative, also known at job fairs as a "people coach."

"There’s not really a lot of difference in a 20-year-old and a 60-year-old in retail, but older people come in with more ‘life experience,’ " Cuddy said. "They’re usually more patient. We have several employees in their 70s, and we expect just as much of them as we do of a younger person."

King College, O’Charley’s, Graceway Pharmaceuticals, Food City, Bank of Marion and AT&T were among the employers on hand Thursday.

| (276) 645-2512

Reasons to hire mature workers:

• They are responsible, dependable and loyal.
• They cut turnover and training expenses.
• Usually, there is less missed time and 75 percent fewer workers’ compensation claims than younger workers.
• They’re more likely to accept part-time jobs, thrive on challenges and recognition.

Source: Experience Works

Two additional job fairs for older workers have been scheduled. The first is May 8 in Richlands, Va.; the second is May 29 in Wise, Va. For information, call Experience Works at (877) 549-8239.