Workforce Training

Throughout the day’s conversations, several major issues were acknowledged and summit participants and attendees discussed their current and future plans to work together to tackle these challenges. Where the morning portion of the summit centered on the challenges experienced and identified by government and military officials, the afternoon session addressed how all sectors share similar challenges in the talent marketplace and how many corporate solutions could be applied to inspire real change for the military and our veterans.

For hiring managers to attract top talent, they must view the aging workforce through a new lens. Today, we consider those 65+ to be “older” and less skilled or capable. But we must shift our perspective on age. The average life expectancy for a man is 80 years old, and for a woman the average is 85 years. A 50-year-old is no longer a “senior.” 

Underserved populations face barriers that limit their access to in-demand jobs. Nontraditional talent may not have four year degrees, for example. They also may not have access to professional networks that produce word of mouth job referrals or interviews. Some may have been involved in the justice system, leaving blemishes on their backgrounds that exclude them from the very corporate jobs that bring long-term stability. These barriers reinforce an uphill climb - without the first internship or professional work experience, others are more difficult.