Rick Emberley On How Older Workers Can Help Address The Labour Shortage

Atlantic Canada has a growing workforce problem. There are not nearly enough young people to take the place of those who are retiring. Rick Emberley, the founder of SeasonedPros, thinks he has one part of the solution.His company matches older workers with companies in need of short-term talent in technical, management and mentorship roles.On the latest Huddle "Insights" podcast, he joins Don Mills and David Campbell to talk about how older workers could be mobilized to help ensure workforce demand can be filled in the years ahead.SeasonedPros already has 10,000 older workers for hire in its database."Sometimes, my elevator speech is we're e-harmony for employers," laughs Emberley. "It's fundamentally an online service driven from a database we've developed and a technology platform that allows employers of any description...looking to fill gigs, you know, the gig economy, the idea that they have an emerging or immediate gap in their workforce and they're looking to fill it."The opportunity is significant. If Atlantic Canada’s 60+ workforce had the same labour market participation rate as the workforce in Alberta, there would be 54,000 more people working across Atlantic Canada.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.