Boomers are the next wave of employees
By ANDREA RIZZO, Published February 4, 2008

Baby boomers changed the rules for television, music and working moms—and now they are changing the complexion of the workforce, too.

Some 76 million baby boomers are approaching traditional retirement age, but they’re not necessarily retiring. Several factors are keeping them in the workforce, including longer life expectancy, the enactment of age-discrimination laws and significant increases in health care costs, necessitating more income later in life. And some boomers simply want to stay connected to the workforce and maintain a regular schedule.

By 2014, the number of workers age 55 and older will equal the number of workers ages 35 through 44 and will surpass the number of workers ages 16 through 24, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The good news is that some employers are anticipating an aging workforce, and they are willing to offer flexible schedules. They’re accommodating because a mass exodus of baby boomers would cause a significant labor shortage. Retaining older workers longer would alleviate the expected shortage.

Studies also have found that older workers are more motivated to exceed expectations on the job than are their younger counterparts. They also bring experience, dedication, focus, stability and enhanced knowledge to their work.

For boomers looking to stay in the workforce after age 55 and perhaps try a new career, it’s time for them to update resumes, polish their job skills and get some face time with employers. Boomers are increasingly returning to the classroom as they embark on new career paths that require learning new skills or retooling old ones.

Community colleges have an opportunity to be on the forefront to serve this demographic. The flexible and part-time schedules that many boomers seek dovetail perfectly with the class schedules offered by two-year colleges.

Experts anticipate that in the next decade there will be an immense shortage of skilled workers in the U.S. The construction industry alone will need 700,000 skilled workers because 60 percent of its workforce will retire, coupled with a 40 percent growth in new jobs. This means there will be more jobs than qualified job seekers. Other industries face a similar dilemma.

Community colleges are anticipating the need and a growing number of institutions are working with industry-specific associations to beef up existing

Rizzo is the marketing and media manager at The Employment Guide, a jobs listing publication.