Aging Manitoba Workforce (AMW)
Project Goal
The primary goal of AMW is to develop an older worker e-learning resource centre to address the gap in educational resources. They help older workers, their employers, human resource professionals, safety and health practitioners, and stakeholders maintain a safe and healthy aging Manitoba workforce.
Manitoba’s and Canada’s workforces are rapidly aging. This is evidenced through demographic and socio-economic changes. With increases in lifespan, people are working past the traditional retirement age of 65 because they need, or choose, to work longer. As the older workforce (defined by this project as 45 years+) grows, it is increasingly important to understand the occupational health and safety challenges of an aging workforce and to develop plans to address them.
Contributing to the need for this project is the gap in available educational resources for older workers and their employers in Manitoba. This includes resources for combating age-based discrimination, or ageism, to create a healthy, inclusive, and diverse workplace culture.
While there are some resources available on the topic of an aging workforce from international and other provincial organizations, there are currently no specific resources available in Manitoba and little research into the issues.
Our Solution
We provided an overview of the current situation in Manitoba through data analysis and the use of interviews, surveys and focus groups.
Secondary research was conducted into the best practices and strategies already in place in international and national communities. Resources were developed for target groups that created awareness of the issues as well as guidance for the development of effective workplace programming.
After all of the research was completed, we designed and developed a website that has a full gamut of online resources and 8 e-learning modules targeted to specific audiences. Each e-learning module has a brief lesson about specific issues relating to the aging workforce, followed by 5 multiple choice questions. Each question has 1 correct answer that will provide further support information and additional resources that the user can choose to review.
The 8 audiences are:
Employers
Supervisors
Workers
Human Resource Professionals
Safety and Health Practitioners
Industry-based Safety Associations
Unions
Worker Safety and Health Representatives and Committees
Project Objectives
Provide an analysis of international and provincial data that will contribute to the understanding of best practices for safety and health for an aging workforce, including return-to-work programs for older workers.
Develop educational and awareness resources for employers, workers, and other stakeholder groups, which will include approaches to address issues of workplace culture and ageism.
Develop e-resources for employers to help retain healthy older workers who contribute to a successful organization through skills, mentorship, and succession planning for long-term business success.
Support older workers with safety and health resources to enhance knowledge and understanding of issues and safe work practices to prevent injury and illness.
Provide human resource professionals with an understanding of the barriers facing an aging workforce, along with knowledge of the unique safety and health needs of older workers and strategies to prevent injury and illness.
Provide safety and health practitioners with an understanding of the barriers facing an aging workforce, along with knowledge of the unique safety and health needs of older workers and strategies to prevent injury and illness.
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