Amber Mack, Executive Director of the Golden Circle, shares results of the local study on Friday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

bridging the gap

Local study presents recommendations to connect employers and adults over 55 looking for work

Mar 22, 2024 | 5:34 PM

Results from a local project in central Alberta have proposed recommendations to bridge the gaps between employers and individuals over the age of 55 seeking work.

The report’s conclusions were shared at a press conference held at the Golden Circle in Red Deer on Friday.

Beginning in April 2023, the Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre and the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce conducted the Central Alberta Older Adult Employment Strategy Assessment Project, funded by the provincial and federal governments and administered by Brandi Heather Consulting. The project aims to identify and explore the employment barriers and opportunities for older adults, as well as the needs of employers facing a shortage of skilled, experienced, and available labour in the region.

READ: New initiative aims to connect older workers with labour and skills shortages opportunities

Amber Mack, Executive Director of the Golden Circle, said they were seeing more individuals looking for work at the end of 2022. For the project, 45 per cent of individual respondents were between the ages of 61-70, with nearly 70 per cent of them women.

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“There’s a lot of conversation in the community about older adults being vulnerable and [the] pandemic really screamed that out loud, that people over 65 were vulnerable instead of focusing on the strength and resilience of older adults,” she said.

Simultaneously, Scott Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, says employers were seeing a shortage of skilled labourers.

All the while, Red Deer’s most recent unemployment rate remains the highest in the province, sitting at 8.2 per cent as of last month. Heather confirmed 70 per cent of respondents in the study were actively looking for work.

READ: Red Deer region sees another rise in its unemployment rate

Nearly 250 individuals and employers participated in the study through focus groups and online surveys, with only six per cent and eight per cent, respectively, stating they were aware of relative resources in central Alberta.

Currently, there are 17 organizations in the region offering employment and career transition services, training, and education, with only two tailored for adults over 55.

As well, the study found that the top four self-identified core skills of individuals are the ones most needed by employers; namely, collaboration, adaptability, communication, and problem solving, showing a match in supply and demand.

Heather said bridges need to be established to connect resources, individuals, and employers.

Three recommendations were suggested:

• Tailor employment services, resources, and tools for adults over 55. An example is increasing representation of older adults in marketing and advertisements, as well as opening applications offline.
• Develop resources in collaboration with diverse community organizations, adults over 55, and employers to improve the recognition and reduction of agism in the workplace. An example includes intergenerational mentorship opportunities for those looking to be leaders and give back to their industry.
• Implement a system navigator to streamline employment opportunities for adults over 55. Mack said the Golden Circle has also been funded to hire a system navigator specializing in healthy aging which can benefit those seeking employment and connection to supporting organizations.
  Press conference on Friday at the Golden Circle to hear the results from the local study. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Survey data showed that many participants expressed skepticism about their abilities to re-enter the workforce and how they can transfer their skills due to agism in the workplace.

“There are older adults that have so many skills that are being underutilized and whether the question is why they need a job; that shouldn’t be the question. The question should be, how can we support them in achieving employment opportunities and reaching goals,” she said. “Older adults have a lot to contribute to community and we need to not forget that.”

Heather said many sought employment for a financial need, as well as social and emotional benefits, an increase in confidence, and security.

Data also showed that the main barriers individuals felt were an inability to identify their skills, feeling excluded, the lack of financial compensation, and feeling unsupported. Employers expressed a high regard for the work ethic, reliability, insight, experience, and dedication of older adults but noted a knowledge gap regarding existing resources to hire, recruit and retain older adults.

“It’s important for us to educate our employers about thinking more broadly about the labour pool that’s out there,” said Robinson. “Older adults are people that can adapt, that are flexible, that show up on time, that are responsible, that are collaborative, and they have those life skills, if you will, that make them very attractive employees in general work environments.”

Mack emphasised the need to focus on removing assumptions and asking questions instead to discover individual needs. Robinson added that individuals are seeking a variety of opportunities from full and part time, to changing careers entirely.

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