The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, has launched Job Skills CheckUp, a free online tool that gives older adults practical tips on how to find a job. IBM helped fund the tool’s development.
“An increasing number of older adults need to work to cover their daily expenses,” said Josh Hodges, NCOA’s Chief Customer Officer. “But many face barriers when returning to work—from explaining employment gaps to learning new technologies. NCOA’s Job Skills CheckUp helps them navigate these challenges. We are grateful to IBM for their generous support of this effort.”
The tool offers resources and practical tips on creating a resume, interviewing, learning new skills, and creating a professional network. The goal is to empower older job seekers to build their confidence while creating a personal plan to land a job they love.
Users respond to questions about the types of jobs they are seeking (such as part-time, gig, or seasonal jobs), how proficient they are with using computers, their education level, whether they have been incarcerated, and if they have immigrated to the United States in the past 5 years. NCOA does not collect any personally identifiable information, but users can create accounts to save their plans.
The Job Skills CheckUp is one of NCOA’s suite of online tools that are part of the Age Well Planner, which also includes:
- A Medicare Cost Estimator, which helps older adults see how much various plans might cost, depending on their health conditions
- Falls Free CheckUp®, which allows older adults to discover their risk of a fall
- Budget CheckUp, which helps old adults manage their finances
BenefitsCheckUp®, a separate tool, enables older adults to see if they may be eligible for benefits programs to cover daily costs such as food and health care.
