{"id":6268,"date":"2017-04-09T06:46:39","date_gmt":"2017-04-09T10:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6268"},"modified":"2017-04-09T06:47:11","modified_gmt":"2017-04-09T10:47:11","slug":"programs-for-job-seekers-should-be-like-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6268","title":{"rendered":"Programs for Job Seekers Should Be Like This"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>There\u2019s not a lot of talk this week about jobs for older workers at The American Society on Aging\u2019s (ASA) annual Aging in America conference<\/a> I\u2019m attending in Chicago. Apparently, this is not a hot button issue with this group, although help for older job seekers really should be one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But I did find one session on the importance of training and education programs to help older workers find jobs, or keep them, which I\u2019d like to tell you about. (I also spoke at a panel on the usefulness of working past the traditional retirement age, along with Don Blandin, president and CEO of the Investor Protection Trust and a Next Avenue 2016 Influencer in Aging<\/a> and Cindy Hounsell, president of the Women\u2019s Institute for a Secure Retirement and a Next Avenue 2015 Influencer in Aging<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Operation A.B.L.E. of New England<\/h3>\n

The older-worker session I sat in on was called Starting a Jobs Center for Workers 45+. <\/em>It was led by Joan Cirillo, CEO of Operation A.B.L.E<\/a> of New England (Ability Based on Long Experience), a nonprofit in Boston whose mission is to help workers 45 and over get back to work. It operates in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.<\/p>\n

We could certainly use more centers like Operation A.B.L.E., which has offered training and employment to roughly 35,000 people over 45 since 1982. And since 2000, more than 16,000 job seekers over 45 have found positions through the organization\u2019s help.<\/p>\n

Read on Forbes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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We can\u2019t find you a job, but we can make you develop a strategic career outreach plan to know where you\u2019re going<\/p>\n

\u2014 Martha Field, Operation A.B.L.E.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here\u2019s why it\u2019s a center worth replicating: Many older job applicants simply aren\u2019t up to snuff with the skills that today\u2019s employers demand<\/a>. Often, boomer job hunters lack basic job-hunting skills because they haven\u2019t had to construct a resum\u00e9<\/a> and cover letter in two decades or ever apply for a job online<\/a>. They may need assistance on setting up a LinkedIn profile<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

I came away from the ASA session concluding that Operation A.B.L.E. might offer a model for how other centers can connect prospective older workers with jobs.<\/p>\n

What Makes A.B.L.E. Worth Duplicating<\/h3>\n

What appeals to me most about A.B.L.E.: it\u2019s a multi-tiered program with a variety of services, from offering resources such as job listings to basic computer training to resum\u00e9 and cover letter tutorials to help brushing up on interview skills. It also provides access to one-on-one coaching, paid internships and apprenticeships and networking clubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re teaching you <\/em>how to find a job, said Martha Field, program director for the group\u2019s ABLE AgeWorks, whose participants are highly skilled, educated and experienced professionals. \u201cWe can\u2019t find you a job, but we can make you develop a strategic career outreach plan to know where you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of A.B.L.E.\u2019s most useful features: a job board linking to regional employers who are supportive of older workers and serve on the group\u2019s advisory board. These include Fidelity, Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, Harvard and TJX Companies (parent of retailers TJ Maxx and Marshalls) and The Museum of Fine Arts Boston.<\/p>\n

And A.B.L.E.\u2019s job club helps job seekers network <\/a>with others like them, supporting one another and keeping each other focused and proactive. In my reporting for my books about finding work after 50 (like Getting the Job You Want After 50 for Dummies)<\/em><\/a>, I\u2019ve found that these kinds of job clubs improve the success rate of older workers landing jobs.<\/p>\n

Specialized Training for Job Hunters<\/h3>\n

A.B.L.E. also offers training courses for particular fields, which is very smart. For example, its 12-week medical office and customer service training program trains students in medical terminology, regulatory information affecting the health care industry and medical office procedures and administration, as well as customer service and communication skills. This program prepares participants for jobs such as patient service coordinator and medical office administrator. Students in the program get assigned to a six-week internship.<\/p>\n

Having career centers and job-search training for older workers is essential, but hard to find in many communities. And the problem may deepen with potential Trump administration budget cutbacks in federal funding for programs like the Senior Community Service Employment Program<\/a>. Authorized by The Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed older Americans.<\/p>\n

Core skills education is fundamental, and there\u2019s a dearth of outlets aimed at older adults who are trying to stay one step ahead in their careers \u2014 whether they\u2019re on the job hunt or simply want to keep the job they have and not be passed over for promotions and assignments.<\/p>\n

I hope more places like A.B.L.E. will make them able to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By Kerry Hannon<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Money & Work Expert<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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