Helping Older Workers Thrive With New Skills

Today’s jobs are evolving quickly. Technology, longer lifespans, and shifting economic demands mean that workers need to keep learning to stay competitive. It’s known as upskilling, and it means just what it says: increasing, or upping, your skills through training.

But workers earning low wages are often left out of opportunities for upskilling. At the same time, small businesses, which employ nearly half of all U.S. workers, often don’t have the resources to offer formal training. That’s where AARP Foundation is stepping in.

A Smart Solution That Works for Everyone  

A few years ago, AARP Foundation launched an initiative to test a new idea:

What if small businesses could get reimbursed for training costs — if they promised to raise wages for older workers who completed the training?

This was the setup:

• Employers chose trainings that fit their business needs and covered the upfront costs 
• Workers gained new skills and an increase in pay  
• AARP Foundation reimbursed employers for training expenses

Real Results That Make a Difference 

The results of the initiative were strong:

• 308 older workers completed training 
• 100% received a raise 
• 75% earned more than the minimum promised increase  
• Average raise: $3.00/hour 
• Total wage gains: $1.58 million/year 

Why This Matters for Older Adults   

Many people who have reached traditional retirement age want — or need — to keep working. But they face real challenges:  

• Age discrimination: 64% of adults over 50 have seen or experienced workplace age discrimination  
• Caregiving responsibilities: 54% of family caregivers are over 50  
• Fewer training opportunities: Fewer than 20% of older workers are enrolled in workplace development programs

Learn More About the Results

Get all the details about the upskilling initiative and its results in “A Promising Model of Financial Risk Sharing for Upskilling: The AARP Foundation Upskilling Initiative,” by AARP Foundation President Claire Casey, which appears in the new book Workforce Realigned, Vol. II.

Download a Free Copy

 

Fostering Economic Mobility for Older Adults

For more than 60 years, AARP Foundation has been developing and supporting workforce initiatives designed to help older adults with low income return to the workforce or advance to better jobs.