Four Chambers of Commerce from across Canada have renamed an entire generation in a bid to help more employers find and hire experienced workers who are only in the “third quarter” of their lives.
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President Graham Starmer
“Today people turn 50 and aim for 100. At 50 they are just entering the third quarter of life and work. They bring emotional maturity and a strong work ethic to re-invest in the workplace, either in new fields or in part-time jobs,” said Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President Graham Starmer today.
“More and more often we hear business leaders tell us they worry about a shortage of workers as we head into a retirement boom. But we also know people who retire from full-time careers have plenty of essential skills they can make count. For the Canadian economy to grow and for small towns to prosper we need those ThirdQuarters to remain active,” Starmer said.
Today, Starmer along with Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Provencher Vic Toews, launched an on-line skills and networking tool designed to connect savvy employers, who value experience, with people in their 50s and 60s, who want to reverse or delay their retirement plans.
Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Provencher
“Our Government is committed to working with partners like the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce to improve literacy and other essential skills to ensure Canadians are equipped to get jobs and build better futures,” said Toews, “In today’s economic environment, it is more important than ever that older workers have the skills they need to participate in the job market.”
The on-line service – http://www.thirdquarter.ca/ – will be piloted to rural and small towns in select communities in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada over the next two years. The program is sponsored by the provincial Chambers of Commerce in those areas and is funded by the Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills.
Self-administered skills assessments on thirdquarter.ca will help workers identify their transferable skills. They then post their skills on the website and connect with firms that are looking for those highly valued essential skills. Even the act of getting on-line will help develop an essential skill for some workers.
The pilot launches in Manitoba in the communities of Arborg (pop 1,020), Thompson (pop. 13,500) and Winkler (pop. 9,100). It will roll out to up to 16 communities across Canada during the two-year pilot project in which community coordinators will be hired in each location to help individuals and firms use the website and connect.
Check out a video of the launch here.
For more information see the Frequently Asked Questions sheet or Video at:
http://www.thirdquarter.ca/en/ereleases/ThirdQuarter-may2010-launch.htm
Or contact:
National Project Manager Michael Stewart, 204.898-1074 [email protected]
