Operation ABLE will host this unique recruiting opportunity from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Southfield located at 16400 J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield.

Register Online
The registration deadline for companies is March 16.  This year businesses  can register online quickly and easily on ABLE's web site at www.OperationABLE.org/register.htm.  The registration form is attached with this message and can be also downloaded by clicking here  or can be obtained by calling 313-832-0922.  The registration fee for exhibitors (which includes booth space, signage, and a continental breakfast and deli lunch for 2 company representatives) is $225.  For those exhibitors who register by February 28, the "early bird" fee is only $185.

Employers Tapping into Mature Labor Pool
The fair will bring together mature job seekers and employers who are increasingly turning to these workers to fill positions.

“Demographic populations in America are shifting,” said Karen Kosniewski, president of Operation ABLE of Michigan, the area’s leading provider of computer and job training to mid-career and older workers.

“While the number of older workers is growing, there are actually fewer workers from younger age segments.  To avoid a shortage of skilled workers, employers are looking beyond conventional hiring procedures and tapping into the mid-career and older age worker populations.” 

"Mature workers are valued employees who possess the skills needed to produce and deliver competitive products and services." says Kosniewski.  "They daily make a difference at their jobs through their experience, qualifications and work ethic.+

Sponsors
The “Ability is Ageless” Job Fair is sponsored by Operation ABLE, the Michigan Department of Community Health Office of Services to the Aging, WWJ Newsradio 950, WWJ 62CBS and WKBD UPN50. 

Need More Information?
Complete information about the job fair and ABLE’s other services for employers and job seekers is also available on the web at www.OperationABLE.org.

Or contact our Corporate Services staff at 1-800-922-HIRE or by e-mail at jobfair@OperationABLE.org.
 

ABLE Completes "Better Jobs Better Care" Study

Operation ABLE of Michigan and SPEC Associates, a Detroit-based national research and evaluation company, have completed a two year national research project to improve the recruitment and retention of quality direct care workers.

The Operation ABLE - SPEC Associates team is among a group of eight grantees that were awarded $3.8 million by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and The Atlantic Philanthropies to conduct the "Better Jobs, Better Care" program study.

The ABLE-SPEC study, Older Workers in Direct Care: A Labor Force Expansion Study, examined whether the older worker is a ready but untapped source to alleviate a percentage of the shortage in the long term care workforce.

The study found that mature workers are interested in para-professional health careers and that employers in nursing homes and home health agencies have a very positive per-ception of mature workers.

The study also notes that there are several real and perceived deterrents to hiring and recruiting 55+ workers.  For example, some employers believe that their health care costs will increase and that older workers are unwilling to use technology.  Some workers' wage expectations were higher than the national average for direct care work.

The study concluded that employment and training organizations that specialize in technology training can play an important role in addressing the needs of both employers and mature workers and job seekers.

A 4-page executive summary of Older Workers in Direct Care in PDF format can be downloaded from Operation ABLE's web site by clicking here.  For the full 124-page report, click here.

Copies can also be requested by contacting Operation ABLE of Michigan at 1-800-922-HIRE or by e-mail at ability@OperationABLE.org.
 

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