One Stop Centers
The Government Accountability Office has issued a report entitled Most One-Stop Career Centers Are Taking Multiple Actions to Link Employers and Older Workers. The following is introduction to the article.
"The share of older persons in the US population age 55 and older is projected to increase to 30 percent by 2025 and continue to grow
through 2050. At the same time, more older persons are expected to continue working than in the past and, in doing so, may need employment
and training services as they make transitions to different jobs and work arrangements. Several factors will contribute to this phenomenon.
The number of older Americans and their proportion of the total population are increasing and are expected to continue to increase.
Fewer of these older Americans are expected to have the traditional retirements of previous generations and many will continue working for
financial or other reasons. At the same time, labor force growth is expected to slow and employers will be faced with a relatively smaller
and younger available workforce. As a result, some businesses will need to retain existing older workers or attract additional older workers to
meet their workforce needs. The Department of Labor has identified one-stop career centers as a means to link older
workers with employers through employment and training services. To address the role of one-stops in serving older workers, we examined:
(1) Labor's actions to help one-stops link employers and older workers and (2) one-stops' actions to help employers hire and retain older
workers."
"Based on our survey results, we estimate that most one-stops took multiple actions to link employers and older workers. One-stop
officials identified some actions as most effective, such as training staff to assist older workers, and often used multifaceted approaches.
Several factors —— for example, the local economy and how workers' skills match with employers needs —— might affect what actions one-stops take to
serve older workers. One factor, the performance measure tracking participants' earnings, may create disincentives for serving older
workers who are more likely to work part-time, which provides lower wages. We have previously recommended that Labor assess the potential
for such disincentives, and we continue to believe that doing so would be worthwhile."
CareerOneStop is a US Department of Labor-sponsored Web site that offers career resources and workforce information to job seekers, students, businesses, and workforce professionals to foster talent development in a global economy. It includes: America’s Career InfoNet helps individuals explore career opportunities to make informed employment and education choices. The Web site features user-friendly occupation and industry information, salary data, career videos, education resources, self-assessment tools, career exploration assistance, and other resources that support talent development in today's fast-paced global marketplace. (www.CareerInfoNet.org)
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America’s Service Locator connects individuals to employment and training opportunities available at local One-Stop Career Centers. The Web site provides contact information for a range of local work-related services, including unemployment benefits, career development, and educational opportunities. (www.ServiceLocator.org)
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