Hyannis Forum to Educate Employers on Hiring Older Workers

HYANNIS – As Cape and Islands employers struggle to find workers during the recent period of historically low unemployment, a forum next month will seek solutions including reintroducing seniors to the workforce.

The low unemployment is causing headaches for employers seeking to fill available positions.

The unemployment rate in Barnstable County for February was 5.9 percent which was down from 7.2 percent the year before. The unemployment rate on Martha’s Vineyard fell from 9.1 percent to 7.7 percent from last February. The rate on Nantucket was down to 10.6 percent from 11.3 percent.

Unemployment also fell on the Cape and Islands from January.

Overall state unemployment was 3.2 percent.

Member of the 55 Plus Committee of the MassHire Cape and Islands Workforce Board Laura Roskos says more experienced, older workers are being underutilized by employers.

“They want to work. They are available to work,” Roskos said. “Somehow their needs and the needs of our employers are not aligned yet.”

Roskos said older residents have a lot to offer employers and are in a different stage of their lives where climbing the ladder is not important.

“They want to use their brains, use their knowledge and use their experience, but they don’t want to compete in that same way they did in their 40s,” she said.

Roskos said the workforce board continues to try and find ways to bring those two groups together.

The workforce board created Age Friendly Employer Awards last year.

“This is really growing out of what we learned from the nomination forms, what we learned about those businesses that are successful at integrating members of all generations,” Roskos said.

The workforce board decided to bring those employers having success with older workers to share their experiences and help educate other businesses struggling with the issue.

MassHire’s “Workforce for the Future” symposium, which will include a multi-generationalism panel discussion, is May 1 at the Hyannis Golf Course at 8 a.m.

“This is really an event that is targeting human resource professionals, hiring managers and small business owners, people who are employers,” Roskos said.

The program is free, but registration is required at www.ageforward.cc.