An O*NET Academy Briefing:An O*NET Academy Briefing: O*NET Tools for the O*NET Tools for the
Older WorkerOlder Worker
Presented byPresented by
Dr. Janet WallDr. Janet Wall
Sr. Trainer, O*NET AcademySr. Trainer, O*NET Academy
Webinar ObjectivesWebinar Objectives
• Review information about the aging of the US population
• Recognize some trends in the aging population• Describe the situation faced by older workers
and the workforce• Suggest some tools that can assist older
workers to consider their options in a changing world
In the 21st century, older Americans are expected to make up a larger share of the U.S. population, live longer, and spend more years in retirement than previous generations.
From: Some Best Practices and Strategies for Engaging and Retaining Older Workers ; GAO Report: GAO-07-433T, January 2007
BackgroundBackground
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
The Older WorkerThe Older Worker• Over 55• From 2000 to 2010, the number of older workers
will increase from 18.2 million to 26.6 million (46% )
• Boomers are entering retirement age and will be leaving the workforce (tsunami)
• By 2020, all but the youngest boomers will be retirement age
Problem for EmployersProblem for Employers
• Baby bust follows boomers leaving • Fewer midlevel and executive talent follows.
– experts predict shortage of workers will prompt employers to keep workers on the job longer or hire back retirees
• Between 2000-2010, more job openings are projected to occur because of replacement needs (retirements, people changing occupations) than from the creation of new jobs– 10 million unfilled jobs
Employer PerceptionsEmployer Perceptions• Financial disincentives including
– rising cost of health insurance– training costs from hiring and retaining older workers.
• Lack of high value on their experienced workers– Gearing succession planning toward replacing older workers with
younger ones • Negative stereotypes including
– belief that such workers produce lower-quality work than their younger counterparts
– less work overall. • Belief that older workers are resistant to change• Skills gap• Fear of age discrimination lawsuits
GAO-07-433T, January 2007
GAO-07-438SP, February 2007
Employer IncentivesEmployer Incentives• flexible work arrangements ( part time, flextime, consulting, short
term projects)• phased retirement • flexible work locations away from the traditional office • time off for for elder care • “snow bird” program, which allows employees who live in different
places during the year to work in both locations • adapted job designs to accommodate the physical constraints of
older workers – hydraulic systems in all of its beds so the beds could fold into a sitting posture, a
change that assisted older staff in moving patients. – modified an assembly line so that cars on the line could be rotated to grant
easier access for mechanics who were unable to lie down to work on cars
• benefits package: health care, pension, employee discounts, etc.GAO-07-433T, January 2007GAO-07-438SP, February 2007
Survey of Persons 50 and Over Survey of Persons 50 and Over Attitudes Toward RetirementAttitudes Toward Retirement
Major Reasons for Working in Retirement
61
54
52
49
47
37
29
24
17
14
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Need the Money
Desire to Stay Mentally Active
Need the Health Benefits
Desire to Stay Physically Active
Desire to Remain Productive or Useful
Desire to Do Something Fun or Enjoyable
Desire to Help Other People
Desire to Be Around Other People
Desire to Learn New Things
Desire to Pursue a Dream
PercentAARP Bulletin, January 2006 from an online survey of 2167 workers in March 2005
Financial ReasonFinancial Reason• 28% of boomers say they will work part-time after
retirement because they need the money or want the mental stimulation
65+ in the United States by Wan He, Manisha Sengupta, Victoria A. Velkoff,And Kimberly A. DeBarros, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce, December, 2005.
Most Common Changes Reported by Most Common Changes Reported by Middle Aged or Retired PersonsMiddle Aged or Retired Persons
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/economy_survey.pdf; May, 2008
IMPACT OF CURRENT ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN; AARP Survey of 1000+ people ages 45-65+
Other AARP FindingsOther AARP Findings
• 16% - postponed plans to retire• 16% - spouse postponed plans to retire• 23% - prematurely withdrew funds from
retirement savings• 33% - stopped contributing to retirement savings• 14% - cut back on medications• 8% - moved to smaller house or apartment• 8% - got a second job
Employability for Older WorkerEmployability for Older Worker• Stay current and employable
• Welcome and learn technology
• Participate in training
• Stay open to new ideas
• Recognize where the opportunities are
• Focus on in-demand occupations where there are employment needs
Smart to Focus on High Growth Smart to Focus on High Growth High Demand OccupationsHigh Demand Occupations
look at http://www.careervoyages.gov
O*NET System and Supporting ToolsO*NET System and Supporting Tools
• Find occupations that match one’s skills (skill search)
• Identify skill gap between current and alternate occupation (skills gap analysis)
• Find education and training institutions
• Find local services to help you improve your job skills (service locator)
Find Occupations to Match Find Occupations to Match One’s SkillsOne’s Skills
http://online.onetcenter.org
Example:For 25 years,Sally has been working as a home health care practitioner. She
has kept up her education through short courses and seminars. She is now 56 years old and is looking toward retirement with a better paying job with less physical exertion. She is willing to take additional coursework and training to upgrade her skills. She want to move to Florida in retirement.
ObservationsObservations
• Less physical exertion.
• Probably needs to obtain more training as this is a job zone 3 occupation, while home health care practitioner is job zone 2.
• Salary is about twice that of home health care.
• Occupation is growing slightly Florida.
Skills Gap AnalysisSkills Gap Analysishttp://www.acinet.org/acinet/Skills/default.aspx
Sally is wondering what skills she now has with her job as a home health care practitioner might apply to her new goal of respiratory therapy technician and what skills she needs to acquire.
Find Education and Training Find Education and Training OpportunitiesOpportunities
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool
Sally wants to find a school where she can get training to become a respiratory therapy technician. The school needs to be in Florida where she plans to retire.
Find out more about the institution and programs.
Review List and Find Out MoreReview List and Find Out More
ReviewReview
• Gained information about the aging population• Learned some statistics about the older worker
and the workforce.• Suggest some tools that can assist older
workers– skills search– skill gap analysis– find education and training opportunities– find local services
Any Burning Questions?Any Burning Questions?
Opportunities for You
• SpotlightSpotlight – www.onetknowledgesite.com
• PodcastPodcast – audio interview
• User-Focused WebinarsUser-Focused Webinars– Contact [email protected]
Supporting WebinarsSupporting Webinars
• How to Download and Use the O*NET Interest Profiler and Work Importance Profiler
• Overview of the O*NET Ability Profiler• How to Administer the O*NET Ability Profiler• How to Interpret the Ability Profiler• Whole Person Assessment• O*NET Tools for Job Seekers and Students• O*NET Enhancements• O*NET for Military in Transition• A Behind the Scenes Look at the O*NET Data Collection Process• Relationship Between Education, Occupations and Pay• Tomorrow’s Jobs Today• Tools and Technology