My colleague Keili recently reported on semi and fully-retired residents donating their time to help local businesses fill temporary staff vacancies. With a higher than provincial average number of residents 50 years and over living here, that group (which includes me) may be the answer to labour shortages on the Coast.
Members of the 50-plus demographic make up a healthy portion of those who frequent area businesses, so understanding the local clientele and their needs should not be a stretch. Most of us already have places to live and modes of transportation secured. We have raised our families. The Coast’s shortfalls in affordable rental accommodation, childcare spaces and public transportation are less of an employment barrier for us than for those at the start of their working lives.
For retirees with some economic security from pensions or savings, it can be easier to consider working positions that pay less or have fewer guaranteed hours. Given increasing costs of living, instability in investment returns, and longer life expectancies, continuing to earn while in retirement isn’t a bad idea.
What does business need to do to tap this labour market? A job offer that was interesting, challenging and had flexible work hours drew me out of retirement. Other retirees have told me that access to benefit plans, offers of training and staff discounts helped lure them back. Not all in my age group want a job, but there are some famous Canadian examples of “unretirements.” The late Pierre Trudeau initially retired from politics in 1979 at age 60. He became Prime Minister again three months later and his second retirement came four years later. Mario Lemieux retired as an NHL player twice, and between those two stints, he took on a team ownership role.
With the federal election called and a substantial slate of local candidates, the option of a job as this riding’s federal elected representative has sailed off for the immediate future. With the Regional District offering summer ice time only in Gibsons, opportunities on the Coast to develop the skating skills for an NHL après-retirement career path are limited.
Thinking about the SCRD (as well as Sechelt, Gibsons and School District No. 46), interesting part-time opportunities will be coming up in October of next year. Local government elections are a mere 14 months away.
If the job openings that local businesses are advertising don’t interest you, maybe contributing local leadership as a board or council member can be your “unretirement” on the Coast.
