ONLINE PRESENTATION
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 NORA Symposium will be held online via ZOOM.
The U.S. workforce is going through a major demographic shift. Over the coming decade, workers 55 years and older are expected to make up an increasingly larger percentage of the workforce, while the percentage of workers in younger age groups is expected to decline or remain flat. This unprecedented change in age structure will affect virtually all sectors of the economy and has profound implications for the field of occupational safety and health.
This presentation explores the concept of productive aging, which involves providing a safe and healthy work environment for workers of all ages. The presentation will provide an overview of current demographic trends, examine how occupational safety and health outcomes change with age, describe NIOSH research priorities on productive aging, and apply a goal setting framework to identify and plan strategies for designing an age-friendly workplace. Dr. Grosch will also discuss how the current COVID-19 pandemic might impact older workers in the future.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Describe current demographic trends and health outcomes associated with an aging workforce.
- Define “productive aging” and describe how it is relevant workers of all age groups.
- Apply the components of the work ability model to setting goals for meeting the needs of aging workers.
- Identify and explain at least three strategies that can be incorporated into the workplace to create a more age-friendly environment.
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
1:30pm – 3:00pm
Availability is limited. Please register in advance.
If you are unable to participate, the webinar will be recorded for later viewing.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
James Grosch, PhD
Senior Research Psychologist
Co-Director, Center for Productive Aging and Work
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
James Grosch has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology and an M.B.A., both from the University of New Hampshire. His work at NIOSH focuses on better understanding how behavioral and work organization factors affect workers’ safety and health.
Recent projects include: changes in health and cognitive ability that workers experience as they age, characteristics of age-friendly workplaces, job stressors associated with increased risk of heart disease and depression, and the impact of job transitions (e.g., retirement, being laid off) on both physical and mental health outcomes.
This event is co-sponsored by the Midwest Center for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center (MCOHS) and the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH)
