OMJ – Retirees for Employers – Knox County, Ohio

Mature Job Seekers

Data provided by the Non-Traditional Workforce committee of the Workforce Development Alliance and gathered from The American Community Survey shows that approximately 3,200 Knox County residents from ages 55-64 are not currently in the workforce. (Note: this data does not track whether someone is retired) Click HERE to view the most recent data.

Many of the mature job seekers visiting the OMJ Jobs Resource Room indicate they are looking for part-time and/or flexible work schedules. These job seekers are a great source of talent, as many of them have retired from long careers and already have the job related and soft skills needed to be successful.

The information and resources provided below were compiled by the Non-Traditional Workforce committee to assist employers in implementing work shifts to accommodate these job seekers.

Considerations

Many job seekers in this demographic are returning to work due to financial need. Others are looking to return to work to find purpose and feel productive. However, most of the job seekers in this pool have specific needs at their new workplace. Some of the most common needs (but not limited to) are:

Flexible schedule and/or reduced hours
Special accommodations for strength and/or mobility issues
Light physical activity tasks
Possibly extra training for technology and/or other skills

Many employers are recognizing how, with a little bit of flexibility and changes to business as usual, this population of workers can benefit their companies and help fill the worker shortage gap. This is a win/win as it helps businesses with their workforce needs and it helps the mature workers, who find themselves with the need to return to the workforce, meet their own needs.

If you are interested in exploring this population of workers, CONTACT US to get connected to job seekers and our partner, VANTAGE Workforce Solutions, who specifically serves this population of job seekers.

Financial Incentives for Non-Profit Employers

For over 40 years, our partners at VANTAGE Workforce Solutions have been connecting Ohio mature workers to employment. This agency offers job training and placement to low-income adults age 55+. VANTAGE oversees the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Ohio Department of Aging.

Mature workers enrolled in the VANTAGE program are placed at appropriate worksites with the agency’s employer partners. These worksites are considered training sites. Note: to participate in this section of the program, employers must operate as a 501c3 non-profit. VANTAGE pays wages to the workers at the rate of Ohio’s minimum wage for workers receiving their employment training at a qualified training site. There is no out-of-pocket cost to these employer partners.

Click HERE to learn more about becoming a training site, or CONTACT US and we will get you connected to the Knox County representative for their agency.

Direct Hires

While the on-the-job training through VANTAGE Workforce Solutions may work well for non-profit employers, it does not meet the need for every company. If you are looking to directly hire an individual, VANTAGE Workforce Solutions can help with that too.

VANTAGE Workforce Solutions has a lot of experience training individuals to be job ready. They can pre-screen or send resumes to you to review. To learn more, click HERE to visit their website.

Helpful Resources and Testimonials

Use the links below to learn more about the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and VANTAGE Workforce Solutions.

VANTAGE Workforce Solutions
U.S. Department of Labor SCSEP

Dustin Henthorne is the VANTAGE Workforce Solutions Represenative serving Knox County.
Dustin says,
“I feel that my job seekers (55+) bring certain experience and skills that are unique to our current workforce. As times change, everything, including the workforce is constantly evolving. My job seekers tend to stay at jobs longer and take fewer days off. They bring with them an unmatched work ethic which seems to have been instilled in them during their youth. They are proud of the businesses they work for and seem to actually know and care about the business in whcih employs them. At times, they can struggle with technology but that gap can easily be overcome with the right training. VANTAGE offers a program called Digital Inclusion, which is a training class used to educate and familiarize one with computers and using basic program such as Microsoft Office. We provide a laptop and a hotspot for them and they may keep these things upon successful completion of the course. The couse lasts for 10 weeks and VANTAGE has had great success with this!! I feel that it is only fair to also highlight some barriers that I often see in my job seekers as well. Strength and mobility are barriers that are very common. Being able to stand for long periods of time or consistently lifting heavy objects is something that most of my job seekers cannot do any longer. They also seem to have more frequent medical appointments and doctor’s visits than someone half their age. However, I do not see them missing full days for appointments, but rathers coming in a bit late or leaving a bit early. The majority of my job seekers train for 20 hours a week. Most 55+ job seekers prefer a part time work schedule. During their time in our program, VANTAGE pays them the state minimum wage.”

Mature Job Seekers

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