Civic participation and employment

Older adults continue to have a wealth of experience and wisdom to be shared in both the voluntary and employment sectors of our community. In work settings, older adults are leaders/mentors for others and deserve to be monetarily recognized for their work. In the voluntary sector, older adults are one of the largest segments of our population contributing volunteer hours in a variety of community settings. Employment and volunteering promote a sense of belonging and social engagement and can have positive impacts to the physical, mental and emotional health of older adults. There are additional benefits for an age-friendly community located on the introduction page of the website.

• Respect and support of all citizens
• Access and inclusion for all
• Community engagement in decision-making
• Livability
• Accountability

• Use the three building blocks to identify the strengths and gaps of your employment/volunteer services/programs:
  • Informed society
  • An enabling and supportive environment
  • Personal, social, and system connectedness
• Learn about employment and volunteer programs and services currently available in your community
• Use the available resources below to get ideas on potential employment or volunteer programs for your community

Planning tools related to civic participation and employment

• World Health Organization: Checklist of Essential Features of Age-friendly Cities (PDF)
  • Includes an eight point checklist of civic participation and employment features for an age-friendly community
• Remote and rural checklist
  • A list of key features, barriers, and suggestions for improving employment and civic participation in age-friendly communities
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities – Employment standards
  • The most current information about Ontario’s accessibility standards regarding employment for persons with disabilities

Resources for employers

• Beyond the workday: Finding balance for the working caregiver (PDF)
  • A resource guide for employers to support caregivers in the workplace

Employment resources for older adults

• Halton Region - Senior and employment fast facts (PDF)
• Experience works
  • A not-for-profit charitable association that supports older workers by training them to find jobs in their communities

Volunteer resources

• Volunteer Canada - Older adults
  • Resources related to volunteering in Canada
• Canadian survey of giving, volunteering and participating
  • a final report from Canada recognizes that seniors provide the highest number of volunteer hours in Canada