The Seniors Job Bank is holding a series of workshops in West Hartford as well as in Bloomfield and Avon to assist adults ages 50 and older in navigating career transitions.

By Ronni Newton

Whether someone is looking for the next step on an existing career track, pivoting to another type of job or industry, or re-entering the workforce after an absence, there are going to be challenges – and for mature workers there may be additional hurdles.

The Seniors Job Bank, which is headquartered at West Hartford Town Hall but serves the Greater Hartford area, has launched a series of workshops – “Next Chapter Success” – to provide advice and assistance to individuals age 50 and up, designed to address real and perceived challenges.

“We created our Next Chapter Success so we could help our mature workers be more employment ready,” said SJB Executive Director Robin Clare.

The series of workshops – which will be held in West Hartford, Bloomfield, and Avon during the month of April – are part of the SJB’s initiative to expand and modernize its services. “Building on more than 50 years of experience, the organization is broadening its role from job placement to comprehensive workforce support, offering career coaching, resume and interview assistance, and skill-updating training tailored to today’s digital economy,” the SJB said in the announcement of the series.

They are designed for those who are continuing or getting back into the workplace, or for guidance about figuring out “what an encore career looks like,” said Clare.

Three days of workshops will take place at the libraries in each of the towns, and begin at the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford on April 7. All are free to attend, and residency in a specific town is not required. Attendees can attend as many days as they like, and mix and match sessions between towns as well, Clare said.

Courtesy image

“We put a call out to a lot of professionals,” Clare said, when developing the program. “We’re really excited that these will be professionals teaching,” she said.

Sessions focus on enhancing job readiness, technological competency, expanding financial literacy, and personal well-being.

On Thursday, April 9 in West Hartford, there will also be a networking event, said Lisa Mahoney, director of marketing for the Seniors Job Bank.

Courtesy image

Mahoney said having the workshops at libraries is also part of expanding the impact of the nonprofit organization. “Those are multigenerational spaces, and allow us to broaden our reach,” she said.

“The initiative also strengthens partnerships with employers, positioning Seniors Job Bank as a workforce partner that connects businesses with reliable, experienced, candidates who help reduce turnover and address talent shortages,” states the announcement. “Reflecting broader shifts toward longer, purpose-driven working lives, the program promotes age-inclusive hiring as both socially responsible and economically smart, supporting a more resilient workforce for Connecticut.

The workshops are funded by a grant the Seniors Job Bank received last year from the West Hartford Greater Together Community Fund.

People over age 50 are “the fastest growing population of workers,” Clare said.

For more information about the Next Chapter Success Workshops or to register, visit the website.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.