Civic Ventures Publishes Guide to Encore Careers

Civic Ventures has published a guide for baby boomers starting to search for encore careers that combine greater meaning, continued income, and social impact. "Looking for an Encore Career? The Guide to Finding Work That Matters" provides practical tips, case studies, and recommended resources.

Among other things, it addresses what a person should expect looking for a job, how to update job skills, how to finance the transition to an encore career, how to turn volunteering into a job, among other topics.

Source: Civic Ventures News Release (November 30, 2009)

Eight Organizations Honored for Helping Older Workers into Encore Careers

Civic Ventures and MetLife Foundation have named eight organizations as winners of the 2009 Encore Opportunity Awards awarded to organizations that are making it easier for experienced workers to transition into encore careers--paid jobs that offer meaning and the chance to make a social impact. Among other things, the winners are engaging people over 50 in creative ways to protect public safety, build low-income housing, teach job skills, preserve the environment, and even save dying Native American languages.

"This year's Encore Opportunity Award winners are innovative, adaptable and smart – and clearly recognize the need to take advantage of the windfall of talented older Americans," said Dennis White, CEO and president of MetLife Foundation. "These trailblazing employers can serve as a model for others to follow."

On the employment front, the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department (Lawrenceville, Ga.) was cited for its recruitment and employment of encore workers to fill jobs at all levels; one-fourth of the it's civilian and sworn work force is over 50, coming from previous careers in government, retail and business. In addition, the Orleans Technical Institute (a division of JEVS Human Services (Philadelphia)) was cited for hiring retirees from the building trades as instructors to provide training and individualized support to an "at-risk" student population; more than half of the school's employees are 50-plus, including full- and part-time instructors, support staff, recruiters and counselors.

Source: Civic Ventures Press Release (November 17, 2009)

Survey: Nonprofit Employers See Appeal in Hiring Encore Workers

According to a survey published by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, 50% of nonprofit employers see encore workers--employees who have finished their midlife careers--as highly appealing, with an additional 39% finding them moderately appealing. In addition, the survey finds that nonprofits with experience hiring late-career or recently retired workers are the most positive (53% versus 40%) about hiring more.

Other findings reported in "Tapping Encore Talent: A MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Survey of Nonprofit Employers" include: (1) 69% of nonprofit employers rate the valuable experience encore workers bring to the job as a significant benefit, and 67% say the same about encore workers’ commitment and reliability; and (2) 25% of the employers expressed "serious concerns" that encore workers could demand higher salaries, 23% that workers would be reluctant to learn new technology, 20% that they would lack technical/professional skills, adn 19% that they could have higher insurance/benefit costs.

In addition to detailing the survey results, the report includes an essay and several commentaries on the use of boomers in second careers by nonprofit employers.

Source: Civic Ventures News Release (October 16, 2008)

Survey; Unlocking Clues to "Encore" Careers among Boomers

A survey of people aged 44 and 70 estimates that between 5.3 and 8.4 million Americans have already launched "encore careers"--positions that combine income and personal meaning with social impact--and that half of those not already in encore careers, half are interested in them. The "2008 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey," conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc., finds that a majority of Americans in this age bracket express a desire to use their skills and experience to help others and, of those currently in encore careers, 84% report a high level of satisfaction and 94% say they see the positive results of their work and know they are making a difference.

"This is the first national survey to uncover evidence that the encore career is more than an appealing idea," said Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and aging. "Unexpectedly large numbers of boomers are looking for purpose-driven jobs that provide them with both means and meaning. That’s great for them and great for the rest of us, too. As this research shows, they are applying their skills and passions to the very public interest fields that need them most."

The jobs of special interest to those looking to encore careers are in education, health care and the nonprofit sector. Among other findings in the report, most respondents interested in encore careers are worried that these positions may be hard to find and may not meet their needs--80% expressed concern about having the flexibility to take time off and a majority were worried about having adequate income and benefits. However, respondents currently in encore careers reported few problems with these same issues.

Most of those in encore careers come from professional and white-collar jobs (88%), have at least a college education (67%), and tend to live in cities and their surrounding suburbs (72%). Most (60%) are leading edge boomers between the ages of 51 and 62. Most (56%) are women. But the research also reveals diversity in the ranks. Of those in encore careers, three in 10 never graduated from college, three in 10 live in small towns and rural areas, and nearly two in 10 (18%) worked in a blue-collar job before making the switch to an encore career.

In addition to publishing the report, Civic Ventures has provided a number of supporting articles and commentaries.

Source: Civic Ventures News Release (June 18, 2008)