One of the topics being discussed as part of the Fort Collins-Loveland Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy is how to retain and support older workers and transfer knowledge to their successors.

A recent story on Forbes.com by Nancy Collamer addresses this issue. It is titled “7 Ways Employers Can Support Older Workers and Job Seekers.”

The full story is a quick read and worth taking time for. Here are her 7 suggestions:

  1. Advertise job openings in newspapers in addition to online outlets. “
  2. Display photos and videos of older people in recruitment marketing materials. That helps make it very clear that all ages are welcome to apply.
  3. Cut down on ageism by using a group-interview model.
  4. Encourage mentoring.
  5. Provide ample training for older workers.
  6. Offer flexible work arrangements.
  7. Provide a wide range of benefits.

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Local profiles of jobless adults and strategies to connect them to employment

There is significant attention on the nation’s low unemployment rate. The quick impression is that there is nobody available to work.

A new report from the Brookings Institution tells a different story.

According to Brookings, there are 78.9 million Americans between 25-64 years of age. These are civilians not living in institutions like prisons Of that age group, 4 million are unemployed but available for work and actively seeking employment. Then, there’s an additional 16.2 million in that age bracket that are not part of the labor force. They are not working and not looking for a wide variety of reasons.

The study is worth looking at for a detailed understanding of who may be available to work and what might cox them into the workforce.