THE NATION - At some companies, older skilled workers are golden
Every time John Remore steps up to his workstation to form a piece of sheet metal, he brings an intangible asset to the job: 42 years of experience, dating to lessons from his father.
Remore, 60, doesn't brag, but that won't stop his boss. "He's invaluable. He is priceless," said Kellie Johnson, president of Torrance-based Ace Clearwater Enterprises, which makes parts for big aerospace companies.
She worries that when Remore and others of his generation retire, she will find it almost impossible to replace their skills. The average age of her workforce is 48.
"We're in the fight of our lives for skilled talent," said Johnson, whose grandfather launched the business in the 1940s welding bicycles, coffeepots and tools. "Looking forward, that will be the No. 1 issue that affects our ability to compete in the global marketplace, without a doubt."
In a society that exalts youth, older workers may sometimes feel like outcasts of the economy -- prodded into early retirement by corporate buyouts, overlooked for training and promotions, typecast by younger managers as past their prime.
Indeed, one 2005 study found that job applicants under age 50 were 42% more likely to be called for interviews than those over 50.
Yet there may be early glimmers of change. The oldest baby boomers are entering their 60s, raising the prospect of a vast wave of retirements. The post-World War II baby boom, moreover, was followed by a smaller "baby bust" generation.
As a result, some employers are worried that they will lose too many people -- and are pioneering policies to make the workplace more friendly to older employees.
"I think we're beginning to see a much broader range of options and opportunities for mature workers," said Diane Piktialis, a specialist in older-worker issues with the Conference Board, a business research organization in New York. "This is an area where there's just enormous room for creativity in terms of how companies can adapt."
Concerns are particularly acute in the areas of manufacturing, healthcare and government.
In the 3-million-member federal workforce, for example, 6 out of 10 employees could retire over the next decade, prompting a recent congressional proposal to lure retirees back to work with new financial incentives.
In other cases, certain companies are showing a willingness to make work schedules more flexible, an approach much desired by older employees.
