The US Strategic Advantage of Older Workers

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 01, 2018 -- This year Older Americans’ Month falls as both the national and local US economies reach near-record levels. With increasing discussion on how to maintain a competitive advantage in this marketplace, one universal theme from both policymakers and CEOs is the need for skilled talent to sustain economic growth. 

The theme for Older American Month is “Engage at any Age,” highlighting that there’s no such thing as being too old to engage in new endeavors. Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI), with employment training programs for seniors is at the fore of the conversation on the strategic advantage that older workers bring to the US economy.

Growing Employee and Skill Needs
Workers 55 and over are projected to make up 25 percent of the civilian labor force by the year 2020. This happens as the number of younger workers in America is set to decrease within a few years. 

In addition to new employees, there is a need for skills to support emerging industries and growing economies. In particular, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills are at a premium to sustain economic growth.

Older Workers as a Strategic Advantage
Senior Service America serves all groups of Americans, including military veterans. Since its inception, SSAI has trained over 53,561 veterans. Advocates for veteran employment often say “Hiring Veterans is not goodwill. It’s good business.” The same can be said for hiring older workers. 

Older workers are a mature, skilled group of talent, and research shows a multi-generations workforce make better business decisions together.

Workforce Development is Key
“For 50 years, SSAI has leveraged workforce development to bridge 50+ workers into new jobs and careers,” said Gary Officer, SSAI President and CEO. “We’ve trained 474,412 older Americans for their next career in life.”

The cornerstone of SSAI’s efforts has been the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). This is the only federal program targeted to help older workers.  The SCSEP program provides experience and training that leads to permanent employment. To date, Senior Service America has placed 12,610 older workers into permanent employment through the SCSEP program. 

Senior Service America works through a network of local partners delivering various career training programs for 50-plus-year-old workers in 34 states. These long-term, local partners are a key to the strength of SSAI, and provide the systems to train older Americans into strategic advantage for employers and the Country.

For more information about SSAI visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org.

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About Senior Service America, Inc. 
Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI) is committed to making it possible for low-income and other disadvantaged older adults to participate fully in determining their own future and the future of their communities. SSAI provides employment opportunities to low-income and other older adults in 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.   For 50 years, SSAI has operated the Senior Community Service Employment Program and currently partners with a diverse network of local organizations in 13 states. For more information, please visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org.