OWS
Older Workers Service
Specialized service supporting retirees into employment
EVP’s Older Workers' Service (OWS) is a specialized service supporting retirees into full time, part time and casual work, especially in the Waikato region.
Today’s generation of retirees are in many cases capable and keen to remain in the workforce in some capacity. Most have careers behind them with a lifetime of experience. But they often don’t want to return to jobs they’ve done before, nor do they necessarily aspire to earn the kind of salaries they retired on, nor to deal with the pressures of full time work. Many are keen to work a few days, or a few hours a week, or just a few months of the year, in a field that will be within their physical capability, give them social contact, and top up their retirement income.
For employers, older workers can be a huge asset.
Generally they are flexible and often available at short notice without the constraints of children or family commitments. Most have worked in an extensive range of jobs which have made them highly adaptable. They’re not constantly looking for the next job up the ladder so if they find an employer who looks after them, they’ll stick around.
We know some employers are cautious about employing older workers. There is a concern that they may struggle physically or psychologically with some roles, or that they won’t be a “fit” with a younger team. Or that if there are performance issues a younger boss will find it harder to have a disciplinary conversation with them. These may be valid considerations – however, we have addressed them in detail elsewhere on this Site. In our experience the right older worker in the right job can be a huge asset to an employer.
With EVP’s Older Workers Service you can apply for a specific job that we advertise, or you can go onto our list of work-ready applicants and wait for a call up. Either way there is no charge to you as the potential employee – just some forms to fill in and a telephone interview.
Our Older Workers Service is a separate entity within EVP. It is run by Colin Pierce and Ernie Newman – themselves both older workers living in a lifestyle Village in the Waikato. They have established this service with encouragement and support from (Te Waka, retirement village managers, etc)