Organizaions Establish New Resource for Older Adults To Prepare for, Find, and Apply for Jobs

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and RetirementJobs.com have announced the join creation of EconomicCheckUp.org to "provide a unique, single resource for older adults to prepare for, find, and apply for jobs." Specifically, the new website will provide an employment path that includes:

1. Skills Assessment—Often older workers don’t fully understand their skill assets. The Quick Job Match online tool helps them identify their strengths and identify transferable skills.
   
2. Online Training—To land the right job, workers need the right skills. The site’s Career Development System provides more than 30 online courses. Classes are free and can be an important addition to a resume.
   
3. Help Finding a Job—It takes a great resume and good interview skills to make the right impression. The site offers helpful tips, and RetirementJobs.com can help visitors find just the right mature worker friendly employer to impress.

Source: National Council on Aging Press Release (July 28, 2015)

United Kingdom: Fifty Plus Unemployed Face Challenges in Labor Market

Research conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that unemployed workers aged 50 and older take longer to get back to work and are at greater risk of drifting into long-term unemployment or prolonged economic inactivity. The study--"Qualitative Research into Enhanced Jobseeker’s Allowance Provision for the 50+"-- suggests that older newly redundant claimants have a number of key barriers to work that stem from having long work histories e.g. the lack of a CV, lack of job application experience and lack of familiarity with the modern labour market and with online job application procedures.

The report looks at the effects of measures introduced in April 2010 to help Jobcentre Plus advisers deliver an enhanced service to those aged over 50 and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). The additional support introduced for the 50+ took the form of three voluntary measures: access to work trials from day one; entitlement to an extra 30 minutes of adviser time; and eligibility to be fast tracked to Stage 3 of JRFND. Enhanced adviser training was introduced at the same time to support the changes.

Source: Department for Work and Pensions Press Release (August 11, 2011)

Digital Divide Separates Older Workers in Job Searches According to UK Research

A study commissioned by the United Kingdom's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the role of the Internet in looking for work reveals, among other things, that many older jobseekers are at a disadvantage because of the digital divide and a number of other variables. DWP's Research Report No. 726--"Job Search Study: Literature review and analysis of the Labour Force Survey"--was authored by several researchers from the University of Warwick and found that over four out of five job seekers made use of the Internet to look for work but a number of factors influenced those overall figures, one of which was age.

Focusing just on the report's findings with respect to older workers, the following results were noted:

• Younger people were more likely to use multiple job search methods than older people.
• Job seekers aged 16-29 year and older job seekers aged 50-69 years were more likely than those in their thirties and forties to nominate visiting a jobcentre, job market or training and employment agency as their main method of job search.
• Social networks as a job-search method were used slightly more by younger job seekers (notably those aged 16-29 years) than by older job seekers.
• Around 87% per cent of jobseekers aged 25-29 and 84% of 30 to 34 year olds used the Internet to search for work, while only 75% of those aged 50-54 did so, 72% of those 55-59 years old, and 62% of those 60-64 years old.

Sources: Department for Work and Pensions Press Release (March 3, 2011); TAEN--The Age and Employment Network News Archive (March 7, 2011)