Written by Ben Cox – A local chapter of a national organization is working to find jobs, along with the training to go with those jobs, for the older members of our community that needs them.

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Experience Works is a 501-3C non-profit funded by the Department of Labor, that finds employment opportunities for anyone 55 years or older that needs to work. Originally started by Lady Bird Johnson, the organization has been in operation for over 55 years.

Liz Cox, who heads up the Brownwood office, oversees 11 counties. According to Cox, the groups goal is to make older people more competitive in the current employment climate. “This program helps those people to have the confidence to go out and knock on a door.”

How to handle the interview process, which seems like it would be second nature, is often much different than it used to be for applicants in the age range Experience Works is looking for. “Used to be, you’d go out, shake a hand, and boom you’ve got the job. Now everybody applies online, and you might have three or four people interviewing you at the same time. How do you talk, how do you answer, how do you make that happen? That’s job development, which we teach here.”

Hands on computer skills are essential to the modern employee, and according to Cox the people involved with Experience Works “get that training free of charge.”

Employees are often placed with non-profit agencies to begin working while also learning new skills for other careers, as a way to boost their skill set while helping an organization that would not be able to pay someone to do the work Experience Works employees are doing.

For those interested in finding out more, call 325-420-2164 or visit the groups website. The Brownwood office is located at 1500 Dublin St, Suite 120.

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