Seniors - Age-wise: Experience works

Recently we found out that two seniors are now employed because they followed up on information printed in our column. Since this is Labor Day weekend, we decided to share their success stories, along with those of others who have returned to productive employment through the Experience Works program.

Experience Works,Inc. is a national, community-based organization designed to improve the lives of older people through training, employment and community service. Experience Works has grown to be the nation’s leading provider of employment opportunities for low-income older adults. A five-county regional program, which includes Saratoga County, is directed by Larry Finkle, Employment and Training Coordinator. Finkle spends his time matching the talents and needs of older workers with employment opportunities that benefit the employee, the employer and the community. He provides training and confidence-building opportunities for potential employees and then he makes his magic matches.

What could be more magic than placing a Spanish-speaking nurse in the clinic at the Saratoga Flat Track? Abigail Altu was a phlebotomist until health issues put her out of work. When she was ready to look for a job again her goal was to work part-time in a place where she could combine her interests in human services with health care.

She read about the Experience Works program in our column, contacted Finkle and the rest is magic. She is working for the BEST (Backstretch Employees Service Team) program at the track. Abi works in the clinic using her skills as a nurse and following her interest in helping people. Her invaluable bilingual ability to communicate with the workers who use the clinic even extends to helping in the computer room when she’s needed.

With the support of Experience Works Abigail will soon be able to reinstate her professional license. Finkle even found a plastic watch for her to wear around her neck when she takes a pulse, because she is allergic to metal.

We asked Finkle how potential employees find his program, besides through AGE-WISE, and who the people are who might need his kind of program. According to Finkle, “People who have retired from full-time employment often need some part-time work to manage in today’s economy. Experience Works supports part-time employment for people 55 years old and older so these people seek us out. Also I have found that a significant number of older people move to the area to be near family because a family member, parent or other aging relative needs care.

Then there is the person who relocates to be near children and grandchildren.”

Brett Bydairk was one of those people who moved back to Saratoga Springs to be supportive to his family. He also needed some part-time work where he could use his skills in IT accumulated over ten years working for the government in South Carolina. A friend who knew he was looking for work handed him a copy of Saratoga TODAY and said, “Hey read this column - it might help you.” Now Brett is not only helping his family and himself, more importantly he is helping the people in the backstretch community to communicate with their families using e-mail, teleconferencing and even a camcorder set-up in one Mexican city. While we were visiting the BEST program, we witnessed one of the backstretch workers speaking to a family member and actually seeing her at the same time.

Finkle finds that seniors who need to or want to return to work often go back to school or take courses to prepare themselves. Experience Works offers a strong training component for potential workers. Training can take place on the job site or throughout the region in BOCES and community colleges. The Experience Works program is founded on a belief that older people should have an opportunity to learn new skills and contribute to their community throughout their lives.

Like Joy Hanson who was tired of staying home. “Just me and the dog,” she said, “and he’s not a very good conversationalist.’ So she went to BOCES to study office procedures. She wanted work doing data entry, which she had fallen in love with at a previous job. Now Joy applies her skills to a position shared between the Saratoga Preservation Foundation and the Literacy NENY volunteer organization. Finkle made the match and provided some transportation allowance so Joy can work at a job she loves.

In addition to supplying training opportunities, Finkle has a budget that allows him to support workers with transportation, work clothing and even eye glasses.

Geraldine (Geri) Krawitz knew she needed a way to engage in the community when she recently moved to Saratoga Springs to be near family. Before she ever left Buffalo, she contacted a similar program for information. They referred her to Experience Works. Today she is working in the gift shop at the Saratoga Automobile Museum. This gives her the opportunity to use skills she has learned from previous jobs, newly acquired skills using a computer cash register, and an opportunity to engage with others in her new community. Geri is confident she now has a combination of abilities that can be transferred to any similar job. We asked her what her goal was. “I want to have a feeling of purpose while earning a part-time income,” she replied.

Since the first celebration of Labor Day in 1882, this holiday pays tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Today we pay tribute to these four seniors and all seniors in our community who contribute to its well-being by using their skills in the workplace and to those employers and programs like Experience Works,Inc. that have the confidence and means to support them.