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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - so old oready, still need to find jobs..</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>2:59 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 7) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>24783.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Nov 22, 2009
Over 500 turn up at seniors-only job fair
<!-- by line -->By Terrence Voon
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About 1,300 jobs were on offer for those aged above 50 at the fair at Sengkang Community Club yesterday. Besides work, participants were also offered courses in computer word processing and basic conversational English. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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Mr Ang Koon Tong, a grandfather of three, got bitten anew by the working bug earlier this year, despite retiring from his position as a warehouse assistant over a decade ago.
But the 68-year-old's job search kept proving fruitless - until yesterday's inaugural Jobs-For-Seniors fair at Sengkang Community Club.
More than 500 mature job seekers thronged the fair, and Mr Ang was among those who were recruited on the spot, as a kitchen helper with a local restaurant chain.
'It was very frustrating in the past because many employers seemed to be biased against hiring older folk,' he said in Mandarin. 'Job fairs like this are better, because we don't have to compete with the younger ones.'
The fair, which targets those aged above 50, was organised by the Chinese Development Assistance Council and Project Success, a job placement centre at Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
A total of 28 employers were roped in, offering some 1,300 jobs. These were in diverse industries such as food and beverage (F&B), hospitality, manufacturing, retail, security, cleaning and health care.
Courses in computer word processing and basic conversational English were also offered at the fair, along with talks by both employers and motivational speakers.
Madam Kim Choi, who came out of retirement this year in order to keep active, had been frustrated by her job-hunting experience over the last few months.
She said: 'I kept getting rejected because of my age. At least here, I know they are sincere about giving older workers a chance.'
The 62-year-old applied for several jobs in the F&B sector at the fair, and is now waiting to hear from the employers.
Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education Grace Fu, who was the guest of honour at the event, urged more employers to keep an open mind about hiring older staff.
'Age is really quite relative. Some of us at age 65 are still very energetic and very healthy and are prepared to give it a go,' she told reporters at the event.
'Employers have also given feedback to us that senior citizens tend to be a little more loyal and committed once they are comfortable with the job.'
[email protected]
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Over 500 turn up at seniors-only job fair
<!-- by line -->By Terrence Voon
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->
<!-- story content : start -->
Mr Ang Koon Tong, a grandfather of three, got bitten anew by the working bug earlier this year, despite retiring from his position as a warehouse assistant over a decade ago.
But the 68-year-old's job search kept proving fruitless - until yesterday's inaugural Jobs-For-Seniors fair at Sengkang Community Club.
More than 500 mature job seekers thronged the fair, and Mr Ang was among those who were recruited on the spot, as a kitchen helper with a local restaurant chain.
'It was very frustrating in the past because many employers seemed to be biased against hiring older folk,' he said in Mandarin. 'Job fairs like this are better, because we don't have to compete with the younger ones.'
The fair, which targets those aged above 50, was organised by the Chinese Development Assistance Council and Project Success, a job placement centre at Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
A total of 28 employers were roped in, offering some 1,300 jobs. These were in diverse industries such as food and beverage (F&B), hospitality, manufacturing, retail, security, cleaning and health care.
Courses in computer word processing and basic conversational English were also offered at the fair, along with talks by both employers and motivational speakers.
Madam Kim Choi, who came out of retirement this year in order to keep active, had been frustrated by her job-hunting experience over the last few months.
She said: 'I kept getting rejected because of my age. At least here, I know they are sincere about giving older workers a chance.'
The 62-year-old applied for several jobs in the F&B sector at the fair, and is now waiting to hear from the employers.
Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education Grace Fu, who was the guest of honour at the event, urged more employers to keep an open mind about hiring older staff.
'Age is really quite relative. Some of us at age 65 are still very energetic and very healthy and are prepared to give it a go,' she told reporters at the event.
'Employers have also given feedback to us that senior citizens tend to be a little more loyal and committed once they are comfortable with the job.'
[email protected]
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