Age-Inclusive Management Strategies in Colorado Webinar 2021

[1/9] Welcome to Age-Inclusive Management Strategies in Colorado 

Based on a multi-year collaboration between nonprofit Transamerica Institute and University of Iowa College of Public Health, this webinar unveils a new tool for employers to learn more about opportunities to recruit and retain experienced employees. The tool was developed based on learnings from the collaboration’s Colorado’s Above-Fifty Employment Strategies (CAFES) project. Colorado leaders and national experts dedicated to transforming the workforce gather to discuss the ways employers can shape the future of aging in Colorado. The tool and project were made possible by a grant from NextFifty Initiative.

Speaker:

• Catherine Collinson, CEO and President, Transamerica Institute

Colorado Governor Jared Polis shares personal anecdotes about working later in life and underscores the inherent sense of value work has for individuals of all ages. He notes the importance of employers actively taking Colorado’s changing demographics into consideration to ensure that current and future generations of Coloradans can provide economic, civic, and social value to their communities for decades to come.

Speaker:

• Jared Polis, Colorado Governor

Prior to the pandemic, the unemployment rate in Colorado was at a historic low, and employers faced worker shortages. Joe Barela, Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Labor & Employment, explains that while the pandemic has presented us with new challenges, we can’t expect those workforce shortages to go away. Getting in front of these obstacles will require a state-wide strategy with innovative solutions that will connect employers to the skilled talent they need, and will help ensure experienced employees have access to training and skills development they need to be successful.

Speaker:

• Joe Barela, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Labor & Employment

Lee Wheeler-Berliner, Managing Director of Colorado Workforce Development Council, talks about the ways our system needs to evolve to fully support the older adult workforce. While sharing stories of the success of the Council’s collaborations with partners like Change the Narrative and Skillful, Lee emphasizes the importance of preparing experienced employees to pursue new opportunities, while simultaneously supporting employers to support diversity in their hiring practices.

[5/9] Finding Work After 50 and Rethinking Retirement 

Kerry Hannon, leading expert and strategist on work and jobs, entrepreneurship, finance, and retirement, joins Catherine Collinson in a Q&A session where she delves into age-friendly workplaces and the changing ways in which workers are approaching their jobs. Topics Kerry highlights are experienced employees and hiring practices, common misconceptions that experienced employees face in the workplace, and phased retirement scenarios.

Keynote Speaker:

• Kerry Hannon, Author and Expert Strategist on Work and Jobs

[6/9] Age-Friendly Employer Best Practices 

Tom Harder, partner at GavinHeath, a leading and award-winning provider of talent acquisition services, discusses Colorado’s unique labor market and how lessons from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts can be applied to the everyday workforce. Tom suggests tactics for employers to improve their internal hiring processes and to create more age-friendly office environments. He also highlights the advantages of having a diverse group of employees.

Speaker:

• Tom Harder, Partner & Director of Sales, GavinHeath

[7/9] AIMS Colorado Website Presentation 

Born out of in-depth research about Colorado’s workforce and employers, Age-Inclusive Management Strategies in Colorado (AIMS Colorado) is a groundbreaking tool designed to support employers that seek to learn about the unique needs and preferences of experienced employees. Brian Kaskie gives a tour of the AIMS Colorado website, which provides in-depth information on the 10 best strategies to become an age-friendly employer, as well as tips and tools to implement the best practices. The tool is accessible for organizations of all sizes and industries.  

Speaker:

• Brian Kaskie, Associate Professor, University of Iowa - Health Management and Policy

[8/9] AIMS Colorado Website Testimonials

Romicha Cooper, HR Director at Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Rachelle Salem, Executive Lead of Strategic Partnerships at GavinHeath, share their experiences as beta testers of the AIMS Colorado Website. They highlight several benefits of the website including strategies, self-assessments, tools, and resources that can help employers create an age-inclusive work environment. According to these users, the website is user-friendly and easy to navigate for everyone.

Speakers:

• Romicha Cooper, HR Director, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Rachelle Salem, Executive Lead of Strategic Partnerships, GavinHeath

[9/9] Next Steps in Working with the AIMS Colorado Team 

The AIMS Colorado website is a free resource for employers and HR professionals to learn about the policies and programs that create better working environments for people of all ages. Employers need to embrace experienced employees as the workforce evolves and to have a competitive edge for recruiting and retaining talent. Please join us in furthering this effort to transform Colorado’s workforce. Brian outlines how the AIMS Colorado team can help employers embark on this journey. Please share the AIMS Colorado website with your network and follow the project on Twitter @TI_Insights!

Speakers:

• Catherine Collinson, CEO and President, Transamerica Institute
• Brian Kaskie, Associate Professor, University of Iowa - Health Management and Policy