Speakers
Description
In today’s economy, adults ages 50-plus continue to show interest in growing their skillsets – for their own personal interest or to remain competitive in the workforce. They employ a growth mindset and have a desire to learn and grow professionally. The demand for skilled workers is providing the workforce with leverage to seek jobs with growth opportunities they desire. And, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen workers leave the workforce – in search of jobs where they feel valued, have opportunities to grow and utilize their skills, or pursue new passions or career path. In a study among 2,000 workers ages 40-plus, results showed that over seven in 10 continually seek new ways to upskill and grow in their jobs. In fact, the majority say that the opportunity to learn something new is a required culture characteristic before accepting a job. A new initiative, the 50+ Education Comebackers, highlights the importance of providing adults ages 50-plus with support to continue their higher education journey.
About the speakers:
Lona Choi-Allum, PhD, is a senior research advisor in AARP Research where she conducts national and state research on the experiences of older workers related to financial security, employment, workplace culture, age discrimination, and reskilling and upskilling. In addition, she has led research on the prevalence of frauds and scams among older adults and conducted an annual taxpayer satisfaction survey for AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. Before joining AARP’s national office, she managed federal grants under the National Science Foundation and the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the SPRY Foundation - creating an intergenerational science program to promote lifelong learning and social connectedness between older adults and school-age children. She also spent over two years managing a cadre of health volunteers in 16 states in AARP’s Health Advocacy Services in the Atlanta office. She holds a doctorate and a master’s in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Jen Schramm, MPhil, SHRM-SCP, GPHR, is a senior policy advisor at the AARP Public Policy Institute, where, as part of the Financial Security Team, she identifies policy challenges and opportunities related to workers age 50+. Through research and analyses of emerging employment trends, she develops policy options to help older workers find and retain jobs. She writes the monthly AARP/PPI Employment Data Digest and accompanying jobs blog. She holds an MPhil in social and political science from the University of Cambridge.
