The Center for Aging and Community at the University of Indianapolis recently hosted its first conference on aging in the workplace. Managing the 21st Century Workplace looked at the challenges and opportunities the business world faces in the coming decade. Speakers stressed the need for employers to develop strategies that will ensure they have a sufficient workforce over the next 20 years.

A key part of the solution, they said, involves retaining, retraining and rehiring employees who might otherwise retire and take years of irreplaceable knowledge and expertise with them.

Chuck Underwood, president and founder of The Generational Imperative, pointed out that, for the first time in history, there are four generations active in the workplace. Underwood explained how business can tap into this resource and, as a result, improve production and achieve better results through multi-generational cooperation.