Partnership panel: Finding workers, plugging family budget gap

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The Greater Des Moines Partnership gathered three local workforce authorities this morning to discuss barriers to employment.

Along the way, panelists discussed the need for state legislation to plug a gap that occurs when low-wage earners make just enough to lose state aid for children, causing budget problems at home. They spoke of ways to hire workers who once served in prison, a challenge because of regulations on hospitals and banks, for example. They discussed apprenticeship programs and the growing realization that work in the trades can support a family, no degree required. 

The panel included Jess McCulloh, recruiting manager for talent and acquisition strategy and delivery at Wells Fargo; Joyce McDanel, vice president of human resources and education at UnityPoint Health-Des Moines; and Dave Stone, advocacy officer for United Way of Central Iowa.

Much of the discussion had to do with the expense of child care and the difficulties in retraining while raising a family, but the discussion shifted toward the end.

During the question and answer session, Kent Sovern, who has worked on aging issues in this market for years, asked about efforts to employ older Iowans. He noted that if a worker in her low 50s loses a job, it can take a long time to get another one, and often the pay is half or less what the original job was. 

“The frustration we hear is that once a person is separated from traditional employment at the age of 50 or above, they are out of the workforce longer,” Sovern said. “They become discouraged. Then when they do re-enter, it is a much lower level, they eat up their savings, leading to a long-term policy problem.”

McDanel said UnityPoint has worked with Des Moines Area Community College on short-term certifications so workers of any age can train for a variety of administrative jobs. “We actually love that segment of the workforce,” she said of older workers.

“Have you measured your turnover rate for the older worker versus the younger worker?” Sovern asked McDanel.

“It is much lower, ” she responded.

“Thank you,” Sovern said. Point made.

McCulloh said she is hurt when she hears community members claim Wells Fargo won’t hire someone who is more than 50 or 60 years old. She responds that if someone has evidence of that, they need to call her because “that is illegal.”

Stone mentioned that 42 percent of Iowa senior citizens can’t meet their basic home budget needs. “A lot of that is fixed income and rising costs,” he added.