Study Establishes Baseline for Civic Engagement among Retirees

According to an article published in The Gerontologist, civic engagement--defined as volunteerism and paid work, done for at least one day per week, that directly impact the local community--can now be considered a distinct retirement role. In "Civic Engagement as a Retirement Role for Aging Americans", written by Brian Kaskie, PhD, in collaboration with a team of University of Iowa researchers including Sara Imhof, PhD, Joseph Cavanaugh, PhD, and Kennith Culp, PhD., the authors argue that a more precise meaning of civic engagement is important to policy makers and program administrators and found that engaged retires differ significantly from those who volunteer less, work in non-civic roles, or do neither.

The research encompassed a survey of 683 retirees. Among the findings: 18% of respondents volunteered for more than five hours per week, and 6.3% held paid positions that were classified as civically engaged. The results also indicated that the non-engaged older adults tended to be less educated, less financially secure, and less healthy than their engaged counterparts.

Source: Gerontological Society of America Press Release (September 3, 2008)

Ohio Establishes Senior Civic Engagement Council

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has established the Ohio Senior Civic Engagement Council to work to enhance volunteer, educational and employment opportunities for older Ohioans. Strickland said that "[t]he Council will work to keep them active and engaged in their communities and careers, as well as help employers prepare for changing workforce needs."

Among other things, the Council will coordinate with the Ohio Workforce Policy Board regarding senior employment policies and activities, collect data about the engagement of older adults in employment, and promote policies that enhance job opportunities available to older Ohioans. In addition, it will help business leaders and the workforce development system prepare for and offer services to Ohio’s growing number of older workers.

Source: Ohio Office of the Governor Press Release (May 20, 2008)

Additional Source: The (Lorain, OH) Morning Journal "Senior civic engagement council smart new policy to help Ohio move ahead" (May 21, 2008)

Civic Ventures Report Highlights State Initiatives on Capturing Boomer Energy

A report issued by Civic Ventures shows that leaders of several state governments are taking the initiative to develop policies and programs that make the best use of boomer experience. The report--"Building an Experience Dividend: State Governments Lead Call to Engage Boomers"--focuses on developments in five states:

• Arizona and its Mature Workforce Initiative to develop policy recommendations and launch new programs, such as a certification program given to businesses deemed "mature-worker friendly."
• California, whose eServices offices focus on matching boomers’ desire to serve with specific labor shortages, such as the demand for math and science teachers and qualified managers in the public sector.
• Maryland, which enacted a Baby Boomer Initiative Act in 2007, creating the Boomer Initiative Council, which is tasked with developing a strategy to keep boomers engaged in their communities through work and volunteer opportunities.
• Massachusetts, whose governor has called for the creation of a Commonwealth Corps to give residents new opportunities to make significant commitments to service and in which legislation
  is being advanced that would create a Mature Worker Council.
• New York, where a package of eight bills has been introduced that are hoped will jumpstart the state’s efforts to prepare for an aging workforce.

In addition, eight states are participating with the National Governors Association and Civic Ventures in a year-long program to find ways to tap skills of older workers.

Source: Civic Ventures News Release (February 7, 2008)

Additional Source: USA Today "No time to relax: States want new retirees' experience" (February 22, 2008)

Civic Ventures Gives "BreakThrough Awards" to 10 Firms Employing Workers Over 50 in Public Interest Jobs

Civic Ventures has announced the winners of the first-ever BreakThrough Award, designed to shine a spotlight on the nonprofit and public sector organizations that are providing meaningful public interest jobs for people over 50. The award, funded by MetLife Foundation, honors 10 nonprofits and public sector agencies located in large and small communities across the United States.

One of the key qualities that the winners share is flexibility, which includes offering part-time and full-time positions, varied workday schedules, telecommuting, on-site child (and grandchild) care, labor union membership and the ability to shape positions to fit skills and schedules. Employers that accommodated the schedules, commutes and other needs of their workers were more effective at recruiting, hiring, utilizing and retaining employees. As a result, some BreakThrough Award winners report lower turnover rates and less absenteeism for employees over 50 compared with younger counterparts. Other winners report that older workers--because of fuller life experiences - are often better at handling crises and interpersonal issues.

The winners were Allied Coordinated Transportation Services, Inc. (Lawrence County, PA)--using drivers over age 50 for door-to-door transportation services for older adults, the sick and disabled, and children whose mothers are in welfare-to-work programs; Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital (Leesburg, FL)--following five years of a recruitment and retention program aimed at those over 50, nearly half of their employees are over 50; Mature Worker Connection, a program of the Pima Council on Aging (Pima County, AZ)--offering free job placement services for people over 50; Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, Inc. (Lexington, KY)--paying ombudsmen aged 50 to 80-something to help with just about everything (dealing with family members and lawyers, advocating for better care, running personal errands and spending time with residents); Older Workers Leading Success, a program of Cleveland Metroparks (Cleveland, OH)--recruiting older workers for part-time and seasonal positions inside the agency's offices and outside at hiking trails, the zoo, golf courses and for winter sports; Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care Program, a program of the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers of Dade County (Miami, FL)--employing 30 workers over 50 who share traditions from their native land with the preschoolers from that same background; ReServe, Inc. (New York, NY)--source of skilled employees over 50 for dozens of New York City nonprofits and city agencies; Retiree Work Opportunities Program, The University of California, Berkeley Retirement Center (Berkeley, CA)--connecting former staff to current short-term or part-time openings; Troops to Teachers (Washington, D.C.)--a small federal program helping 10,000 eligible military veterans become public school teachers in high-needs schools; The YMCA of Greater Rochester (Rochester, NY)--recruiting older employees to match their changing demographic.

Source: Civic Ventures News Release (May 31, 2007)

Additional Sources: The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle "
YMCA honored for treatment of older workers" (June 2, 2007)