Empowering Experience: Leveraging the Strengths of Older Workers  

Resilient and Ready: The Power of Older Workers in Today’s Workforce

Presenter: 

• Carly Roszkowski (Vice President, Financial Resilience Programming, AARP) 

Summary:

This presentation will address labor market changes and landscape, workforce demographics, the value of older workers, how to work with employers and advocate on behalf of older adults, and benefits of age inclusion and multigenerational workplaces.

Learning Objectives:

• Be able to identify the unique skills and insights that older workers bring to the workforce, including their extensive experience, problem-solving abilities, and mentorship potential.

• Learn how organizations can be more age inclusive, including benefits that employers can offer and how multigenerational workplaces can benefit all.

• Learn how to advocate on behalf of older adults in the workforce. 

Reimagining the Workforce: Empowering the Strength of Older Workers

Presenters:

• Kathryn Gerhards (Director of Employment Services at  EasterSeals Oregon) 
• Dion Smith (Manager of Programs and Compliance, Easterseals Inc.) 

Summary:

This presentation will cover the Department of Labors Senior Employment Program, and the impact this program has on older workers in Oregon, and across the nation. We will share statistics, success stories, biggest challenges, and the economic impact getting older workers back into employment creates. 

Learning Objectives:

• See the value of older workers in their workplace

• Understand how employers can set these job seekers up for success

Continuing Education Credits

Stay tuned for more information. 

This is the first of four sessions of OGA's 2025 virtual conference. You can register for individual sessions or, at a discount, for the entire conference series. For an overview of all sessions, please visit the conference page.

Register here!

Carly Roszkowski is the Vice President of Financial Resilience Programming at AARP, where she leads strategy and outcome development within Financial Resilience and the Work and Jobs issue area. She helps individuals over the age of 50 obtain and maintain the level of employment they need or desire by increasing the competitiveness of 50-plus workers in the labor market, improves access to all forms of work opportunities for the 50-plus, and helps to eliminate age discrimination in the workforce.

Carly has over 20 years of experience developing and executing successful business and integrated marketing strategies, brand campaigns, and strategic partnerships for leading nonprofit organizations. She has been with AARP for six years and has spent time at AARP Foundation, and AARP Driver Safety. Prior to AARP, Carly directed marketing and communications at Teaching Strategies, an Education Technology company, and spent more than a decade in consumer and business-to-business offerings at Discovery Communications; she began her career in fundraising with the World Wildlife Fund.

Carly lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, three children, two fish, and one dog.

Kathryn Gerhards has been the Director of Employment Services at Easterseals Oregon since 2022, bringing more than a decade of experience working with underserved communities across the state. Her career has focused on supporting justice-involved youth, individuals in foster care, people with developmental disabilities, veterans and older adults seeking greater independence and opportunity. At Easterseals Oregon, Kathryn oversees the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), which together span 33 counties. She is passionate about creating inclusive workforce pathways and empowering individuals to overcome barriers to employment. Kathryn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Deaf Studies from Western Oregon University. She is committed to building programs that are person-centered, trauma-informed, and rooted in dignity and equity.

Dion Smith has been a dedicated member of Easterseals since May 2009, currently serving as Manager of Programs and Compliance for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Easterseals nationally administers SCSEP in over 10 states serving over 150 counties and almost 3,000 mature jobseekers annually. With over a decade of experience in workforce development, Dion brings a deep commitment to empowering individuals through training, education, and opportunity.

An active member of several professional organizations, Dion holds the Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) credential from the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). He is also a member of the Southeastern Training Association (SETA), National Career Development Association (NCDA), and Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE). As a certified financial instructor by National Disability Institute, he enjoys facilitating Financial Wellness Training for People with Disabilities.

Dion earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and he later completed a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with an emphasis in Government Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and continues lifelong learning through online training programs with Hillsdale College. Dion believes that workforce development is the next paradigm for eradicating poverty through skills training, education, and meaningful career pathways. He is passionate about the work he does and the lives he helps transform.

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