If you think the young and the restless are the ones employers are looking to hire these days, think again. On Thursday, Sept. 27, dozens of the area’s best companies will be looking to attract the young at heart at the Albany Senior Adult and Volunteer and Employment Fair at the Italian American Community Center on Washington Avenue Extension in Albany.
The event, which is put on every year by the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, typically attracts more than 3,000 interested members of the 55-and-older community and prominent companies like CDPHP, Bank Of America-Libris Group, Hannaford, Target and the YMCA.
Seniors have a good work ethic; they have wonderful work experience and availability, and many companies want them for part-time positions, said Cyndy Myers, member services coordinator for the Chamber.
Myers has been running the job fair for years, and said that hundreds of seniors come with resumes in hand, ready to go to work.
`One thing that employers like is somebody who’s been around for a while, somebody that can roll with the punches, and they consider them to still be a viable part of the workforce,` she said.
One of these companies is the Bank of America -Libris Group in Menands, a tax-processing center that regularly employs 80 to 100 senior employees at its location.
`We like seniors because they have a strong work ethic instilled in them and are a good reliable work force,` said Carolyn Morris, a temporary employment coordinator in the group’s human resources department.
Morris said most of the seniors continue to come back to the processing center every year because the work required of them is easy and low stress, consisting of opening envelopes, sorting out tax forms and data entry, appropriate for people with physical constraints and disabilities. Morris also believes the job gives some seniors social opportunities they don’t get by staying home.
`I think a lot of them choose to work here because they just like being around other people,` she said.
Jane Springer, a Guilderland senior and member of the chamber, is a part-time worker at the Guilderland YMCA.
Springer, who is older than 75, was once a Guilderland town clerk and a county legislator for seven years. After retiring, Springer realized she wasn’t ready to call it quits in the workforce yet.
`I still enjoy working,` she said. `I know I don’t have as much energy as I used to, but I missed being out and doing things with people.`
At the Guilderland YMCA, Springer works about eight hours a week planning the senior program calender. She organizes all of the YMCA’s monthly events like the annual book sale in November, Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Day in February, and Active Older Adults Day in May.
Springer will be representing the Guilderland YMCA at a table at the Senior Job and Volunteer Fair, where she hopes to get seniors involved with some of the programs.
Springer said that although working isn’t for all seniors, its important for them to keep busy, her key to success in her golden years.
`The big thing is to stay active. You don’t have to do anything more than walking,` she said, adding that many seniors choose to volunteer instead because there is less of a commitment.
`It depends on the individual person,` she said. `For some people, volunteering two or three times a year is enough, but some people need more.`
In addition to hiring seniors, many companies will also offer various volunteer opportunities, from greeting guests at events to performing general administrative tasks.
Judy Bailey, also a Guilderland senior and member of the chamber, has been volunteering at the Guilderland Senior Center for years. Bailey does some administrative work for the center and some creative tasks, like decorating for luncheons. Bailey said her love of volunteering is a result of being a people person, and it is what keeps her busy these days.
Her advice to seniors: `Don’t sit around and watch the boob tube; stay active and accomplish something,` she said.
The 2006 Albany County Senior Adult and Volunteer Employment Fair will take place at the Italian American Community Center on Washington Avenue Extension in Albany from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For information, call the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce at 456-6611. “