"People age 50+ want work and volunteer opportunities" reported Marilyn Hennessy, president of Retirement Research Foundation, quoting from a National Council on the Aging communique. "Voters aged 50+ no longer regard age 65 as the time to stop working." Hennessy said that "An infrastructure should be put in place to share information and to help people understand the aging workforce. Mature workers and employers need to be at the table."

Senator Ed. Maloney, chair of the higher education committee, said that the two greatest challenges for the aging workforce are to communicate the possibilities for mature workers to retirees and employers and to create an awareness of the nature of the aging workforce. He said that we must also think seriously about the workforce ten years from now and improve the retention and graduation rates for higher education. Maloney reported on a pilot project underway to address retention rates by improving skills of high school students before they reach college.

In the keynote, Arthur Rothkopf, vice president of the U.S. Chamber said, "The United States in the 21st century faces unprecedented economic and social challenges, ranging from the forces of global competition to the impending retirement of 77 million baby boomers. Succeeding in this new era will require our children to be prepared for the intellectual demands of the modern workplace and a far more complex society. Yet the evidence indicates that our country is not ready. Despite decades of reform efforts and many trillions of dollars in public investment, U.S. schools are not equipping our children with the skills and knowledge they -- and the nation --so badly need.

Understanding the Four-Generation Workforce

The workforce is constantly changing and presents different challenges for each of the four generations, because they come from specific times in history. Some of the questions asked in the discussion were, "What are the differences between generations and how can the workplace help them find common ground? How can we foster a greater understanding of the aging process since many clients will be older?"

Each generation must understand the other to ensure smooth working relationships. Training and ultimate understanding of other generations will maximize productivity of all workers and management.

Pre-retirement, New Careers, and Part-time Work

Most older workers begin thinking about retirement long before it happens. What information and motivation do they need to direct their retirement to second careers, part-time employment, and continued involvement? How can the scenario for full-time leisure be changed to one of continued productivity and involvement?

The group suggested that new partnerships need to be developed to connect older workers with job and retirement opportunities. This can be accomplished through existing networks, such as local workforce boards, mature worker transition centers, and through retiree groups. Key is a central point of information.