OLDER WORKERS ENCOURAGED NOT TO RETIRE

Canada, B.C. Partner To Help
Unemployed Older Workers

NANAIMO – The first 12 projects funded through the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) will help older workers living in British Columbia retrain for new careers.

The projects were announced today by Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Federal Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, and Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, on behalf of the Honourable Colin Hansen, B.C.’s Minister of Economic Development.

The governments of Canada and British Columbia are jointly awarding over $7.5 million to 12 organizations across the province to deliver community-based projects that will help an estimated 900 unemployed older workers, mostly from the forestry industry.

“The Government of Canada is committed to creating the best-educated, most skilled and most flexible work force in the world, and that work force includes older workers,” said Lunney. “We cannot, and must not, overlook the experience of these workers who want to continue contributing to their communities, and to the Canadian economy.”

The Government of Canada, in its 2008 budget, announced new measures to assist older workers, including a $90-million investment to extend the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers until March 2012. This is above the original $70-million investment the federal government made to launch this initiative in Budget 2006.
“With an estimated one million job openings in B.C. leading up to 2018, older worker who are interested in re-entering the workforce can be a key element in addressing the skills and labour shortage challenges our province is facing,” said Cantelon.

“These funds will allow service providers to help older workers across B.C. upgrade their skills, benefit from job counselling and gain work experience.”
“This funding allows ETHOS and other service providers across B.C. to develop essential programs and projects that will help unemployed older workers find new positions and continue to be key contributors to the provincial economy,” said Theresa Mayoh, president of ETHOS Career Management Group, one of the project providers.

The TIOW is one of the deliverables of British Columbia’s WorkBC action plan, which sets out ways to address skills shortages for the next five years and respond to longer-term labour market challenges. A key priority of the action plan is to develop the skills of existing workers. The TIOW focuses on workers in communities experiencing an economic transition, such as those in the forest sector who are affected by the mountain pine beetle epidemic and by the restructuring of this sector.

Comment: Someplace along the way it would seem many young people have not been taught any kind of good old fashioned work ethic. If you or someone you know is faced with hiring entry level employees, you know how challenging it is to work with this generation of people who seem to think the world owes them a living.