Workforce Service Policies to Adopt
As Western North Carolina workers age in an older demographic community like Asheville, there are several low-cost reforms that could improve the workforce services provided to older adults:
- Having specialized staff at job centers who understand older workers’ needs and who can serve them more effectively,
- Experimenting with job placement programs specifically for older workers,
- Promoting self-employment among older adults,
- Providing targeted skills development for older workers,
- Adopting separate program performance standards for older adults to eliminate disincentives for the provision of services to this population
- Restoring funding to the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP, a program that serves disadvantaged older adults), and
- Evaluating the new programs and initiatives we recommend to ensure they have the intended effect.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/policies-to-improve-workforce-services-for-older-americans/