Baylie Evans
Dec. 27, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CHEYENNE -- Searching for a job is hard for anyone, particularly in an economy like this one. But for senior workers, it can be even harder.
Many are entering the workforce for the first time because they find a need for additional income. Others are re-entering after retirement.
One of the biggest obstacles that older workers face when entering the workforce is a lack of computer knowledge, said Amy Reyes, the employment and training coordinator for the local Experience Works program.
Experience Works is a national, non-profit organization aimed at helping workers aged 55 and older find, keep and train for work.
The local Experience Works program recently received additional federal grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help teach computer skills to older workers.
"You can't even apply anywhere nowadays without having some knowledge of computers," she said.
So Experience Works helps train workers in computer skills while giving them work to do and a salary. And they have room for more in the program.
Nationwide, unemployment numbers for people 55 and older have gone up 54 percent since November of 2008, according to a news release from the national Experience Works program.
And nationally, "the number of older workers who are seeking assistance from Experience Works has increased an average of 33 percent over last year," said Cheryl Kulm, Wyoming state director for Experience Works in the release.
The local office is seeing increased traffic as well. That office used to get about one or two phone calls a day from people interested in the program, Reyes said. Now, it's up to four or five calls a day.
And even the demographics are changing locally. Where the office used to serve mostly people older than 60, now most are 55-58.
Despite their possible lack of training, older workers are a valuable and overlooked group of workers, Reyes said
For Mary Abraham, the program helped her get back on her feet after her husband passed away last May. She lost all of his income when he died and had to return to work.
She had been retired for more than two years when she decided to go back to work. And she had held just one job for many years before that.
She hadn't interviewed for a job in about 15 years, she said, and things had changed.
"They just kind of looked at my gray hair and said 'We don't want you,'" she said.
The problem wasn't that she had never worked before or didn't have office experience.
"It never dawned on me that I wouldn't get a job," she said.
She has been in the Experience Works program for about five months now. And after a year, the expectation is that she will have reliable, fulltime employment.
For questions about the program or to get involved, call the local office at 634-7417.
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