AARP Foundation Receives Grant to Help Employers Retain and Recruit Mature Workforce

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant of $425,040 Reinforces the Value of Workers 50+

Source: AARP Press Center | April 21, 2006

AARP Foundation today announced that it is the recipient of a $425,040 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to aide employers across the country in retaining workers 50+ as well as attracting new employees age 50+ to their workforce.

This program will help employers put workplace flexibility practices in place to meet the needs of an older workforce which often include setting their own hours and taking time off for other endeavors.

"This project will not only help employers realize the opportunities and solutions older workers can create, it will also offer the technical assistance necessary to help them attract and retain the 50+ workforce," said AARP Foundation Executive Director Robin Talbert.

Recent AARP studies indicate that 8 in 10 baby boomers say that they plan on working either part time or full time well past "traditional" retirement age. In addition, projections show that by 2012, nearly 20 percent of the workforce will be age 55 and older. It is therefore becoming increasingly clear to employers the value that workers 50+ will bring to their businesses.

Through collaborations with the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the NRF Foundation, this project will facilitate the education of businesses, both large and small, on adopting workplace flexibility practices as a tangible way to increase the number of older workers that are able to enter, remain in, or re-enter the workforce.

The program will conduct six regional, one-day employer training workshops that will forecast future employer trends, identify the labor force needed to meet those trends and will build on the work and research done by AARP, AARP Foundation, and other Alfred P. Sloan Foundation-funded projects.

The lessons learned from the industry specific work and the regional meetings will also be disseminated to the 21 associations that are part of the AARP Alliance for an Experienced Workforce. This Alliance, formed in 2005, consists of trade, industry, training, and member associations that focus on the changing workforce and the impact that 50+ workers will have on it or years to come.

The AARP Foundation is AARP's affiliated charity. Foundation programs provide security, protection and empowerment for older persons in need. Low-income older workers receive the job training and placement they need to re-join the workforce. Free tax preparation is provided for low- and moderate-income individuals, with special attention to those 60 and older. The Foundation's litigation staff protects the legal rights of older Americans in critical health, long-term care, and consumer and employment situations. Additional programs provide information, education and services to ensure that people over 50 lead lives of independence, dignity and purpose. Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP.