On January 31^st, I represented Coming of Age as a panel member for 2020: What Does the Future Hold?  This program was part of a series for Leadership Montgomery County, a program of the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.  

 

The keynote speaker, Joann Kline, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Office of Aging and Adult Services, delivered an overview of the findings of a 2005 Montgomery County project. The BoomerANG (Boomers – Aging’s Next Generation) Project is a yearlong planning and visioning process that engaged businesses, faith groups, educators, civic groups, human service organizations, government and citizens in researching and recommending a responsive strategy to the growing needs of an aging population. For more information, please go to the Montgomery County Aging and Adult Services.

 

The program attendees, from local businesses, colleges, non-profits and government entities, then heard different perspectives on how the Boomers will be affecting the workforce in the next decade.

 

Fred Griesbach, the director of the Pennsylvania office of AARP talked about what his organization is doing to recognize best practices as employers address their own hiring needs and those of the 50+ workforce.

 

Nanette Carney shared what The Carney Group does to provide “gold collar workers” to employers with temporary and permanent staffing needs.   

 

I talked about the Coming of Age initiative and how Boomers are reinventing retirement. It is predicted that many of us will be working past traditional retirement age. Individuals may continue to work in a chosen profession but for fewer hours or with less responsibility. Others will redirect their career or choose civic engagement if their financial situation allows. A challenge to planning for this workforce issue is that we need to remember that Boomers have individual values that will drive their decisions. The importance of values such as affiliation, contributing to society, intellectual thinking, financial reward, status, recognition, time flexibility or others will determine our direction as we define life in our 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond.

                                   

Carmen Italia, President of the Montgomery County Industrial Development Corporation, effectively reviewed some workplace trends and job areas that are expected to grow in the coming years. 

 

Michael Guarracino, Financial Advisor, from MG Financial Group addressed the question “How much money do you think you need to retire at age 65?” and created a sobering economic picture for many individuals as they plan for retirement. 

 

Energizing discussions of all these issues followed and the program ended with raising many challenges for the policy makers, service providers, employers and for all of us who will be coming of age and reinventing retirement.  Like the challenges that faced employers and individuals as the dual career family became the norm in the last quarter of the 20th century, the questions raised are more plentiful than the answers. Check back to this site often as we respond to your individual questions and identify new resources as we travel through these times together.