CA Magazine – June 2006.
By Tom Arnold
For today's CA, being in your 50s and looking for work makes you a hot hiring commodity. And hiring trends in Canada show that companies are interested in enlisting the skills, experience and work ethic of aging baby boomers.
"Baby boomers want to continue learning, they want to work longer and they stillwant challenges," says Paul Boyes, a 53-year-old CA from Windsor, Ont.
Last year, The Conference Board of Canada agreed, concluding that Canada should employ the skills of older workers to better meet the country's labour needs. Its analysis listed women ages 55 to 64 — whose participation rate in the workforce increased to nearly 50% in 2005 from 36% in 1995, while that of men climbed to 66% during the same period — as the fastest growing Canadian labour force in the past 10 years.
As a result, employment agencies are offering services such as career counselling and coaching, résumé writing and image consulting — all targeted toward the 50-plus candidate. Websites provide job boards with postings by employers and the opportunity for job seekers to post their CVs.
"The biggest things [professionals 50-plus] have to offer are experience and knowledge. Younger people may have the academic studies but they don't have practical experience," says Barry Witkin, CA and founder of Prime50 Employment Services, now owned by Drake International, an international staffing and human resource company.
Recently, Boyes' 20 years of professional experience and knowledge landed him a new career: "My experience ranges from controller to vice-president, finance, at major firms and start-up companies." And according to The Conference Board of Canada, with no sign of a hiring plateau in sight, the country's economic growth potential and its aging work force are on the rise.