Department of Workforce Development

For more information, contact:
Glenn Olsen 608/264-8164

Madison, Wis. – A state workforce official today announced additional efforts are being undertaken by Job Centers throughout Wisconsin to help employers recruit workers age 40 and over.

Secretary Linda Stewart of the State Department of Workforce Development (DWD) said Job Centers will identify selected employers as friendly to older workers, when those employers meet criteria which now are being developed for such a designation.

One of the criteria will assess the willingness of employers to offer specialized training to older workers needing the technical skills necessary in today’s workplace, Stewart said.

Job Centers also will be contacting retiring state workers to attempt to interest them in private sector work after they leave state employment.  Additional efforts also will be made to attract older ex-workers back into the work force.

"Population trends indicate that people over age 40 in Wisconsin will constitute more than 40 per cent of the total state population by 2010," she said.

"As Wisconsin continues to face a labor and skill shortage for years to come, smart employers are tapping into the available older worker pool to help them maintain a competitive business edge."

Stewart said her agency was coordinating its efforts with the Older Worker Network, a consortium of older-worker community-based organizations around the state.

March 14-20 also has been proclaimed Older Worker Week in Wisconsin by Gov. Tommy Thompson.

The annual observance was initiated by the federal government to raise awareness regarding the qualities and attributes of older workers, counter myths, and remove barriers to their employment.

Job Centers around Wisconsin will be offering mature worker job fairs, workshops or open houses, thus joining other organizations around the state promoting greater awareness among employers and older workers about the benefits each offers the other.

Some employers also will use the special week to formally recognize the value of older workers already in their employ.