Saskatchewan businesses have joined the Manitoba Chambers initiative to help more employers find and hire experienced workers who are only in the “third quarter” of their lives. The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and the Humboldt & District Chamber of Commerce launched their ThirdQuarter.ca pilot project today on the heels of launches in Atlantic Canada, British Columbia and Manitoba this summer. Watch the video.
“Today people turn 50 and aim for 100. At 50 they are just entering the third quarter of life and work. And they make that third quarter count by bringing emotional maturity and a strong work ethic to re-invest in the workplace,” said Steve McLellan, CEO Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce today from the launch event held in Humboldt.Steve McLellan, CEO Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Joining other dignitaries at the event was Patti Durand, Humboldt’s ThirdQuarter Community Coordinator.
“More and more often we hear business leaders tell us they worry about a shortage of workers as we face a retirement boom. But we also know people who retire from full-time careers have plenty of essential skills they can transfer to entirely new fields. For the Canadian economy to grow and for small towns to prosper we’ll need them to remain active. And we’re going to help them do that,” Durand said.
Highlighted at the event was http://www.thirdquarter.ca/, a website designed to connect savvy employers, who value experience, with people in their 50s and 60s, who want to reverse or delay their retirement plans. Self-administered skills assessments on the website 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.
“A typical resume does not tell the full story of the hidden talents of ThirdQuarters. But, http://www.thirdquarter.ca/ will bring those essential and valued skills to the surface,” Durand adds.
The on-line service will be piloted to rural and small towns in 16 communities across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic Provinces over the next two years. The program is made possible with funding from the Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills. The Saskatchewan Chambers’ second pilot community, Regina, will be launching their program in the fall.
For more information, see the Video at
http://www.thirdquarter.ca/en/ereleases/ThirdQuarter-july2010-launch.htm
Steve McLellan, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce 306-533-7686 [email protected]
