The deadline is approaching for nominations for the person who will be named Iowa’s most outstanding older worker. Alice Iverson, spokeswoman for the program in Iowa, says it’s part of a national effort to raise awareness of the contributions made by older people and to break down barriers associated with the hiring of older workers.
Iverson says: "The person we’re looking for is a person that has made a difference. Their work has had an impact on others. They have achieved some level of success in their work plan in enriching the lives of others." She says the judges will look at the person’s commitment to family and to their community.
Iverson says they also "take into consideration the barriers they might have overcome and what they’ve had to do to get to where they are." She says they get nominations from all sorts of people — employers, relatives, friends and even people nominating themselves. Iverson says there are a few other key criteria.
Iverson says they have to be 65-years old or older and must be working at least 20-hours a week at a paid wage, not a volunteer position. Iowa’s outstanding older worker in 2006 was 83-year-old Helen Aringdale, a columnist and proofreader with the Columbus Junction Gazette. This year’s state winner will go on to represent Iowa in a national event to be held this fall in Washington D.C.
Iverson says "Everyone that has attended that lists that as one of the highlights of their life. It becomes a very unique opportunity for them to relate to other older workers and to other people in the same age bracket. They have so much in common and so much to share." For more information, or to nominate someone, visting the Experience Works website or call 800-782-7519. The deadline for nominations is May 31st.