GIVING NEW MEANING TO WORKING OVERTIME

Source: The Straits Times

If you are 60+, retired and wondering if you might be too old to seek re-employment, you would be heartened to know that there are folks in their 70s and 80s who are still putting in a good day's work AND enjoying it.

Meet some of these older adults who are still passionate about what they are doing.

• Prof Shanmugaratnam, 88, histopathologist - "I will work as long as I am able, as long as I am needed and as long as I have nothing better to do."
• Mrs Teresa Jodhi, 74, midwife - "I never dread going to work. Never. Mothers are so happy when we give them their newborn baby. I also get to keep my relationships at work."

 Mr Seng Lee Fong, 82, and Mr Sani Mokjie, 64
  

 Mrs Nancy Goh, 71, and Mrs Herminia Ilano, 72
• Mr Sani Mokjie, 64, chief inspector of posts - "I work to share my experience."
• Mr Sin Leong, 83, Mr Hooi Kok Wai, 76, both master chefs - "Having responsibilities gives meaning to your life... When you work, your brain won't die. You won't get dementia."
• Mrs Herminia Ilano, 72, cello teacher - "When you enjoy what you do, your body is not tired. Your calling doesn't stop when you are old."
• Mrs Nancy Goh, 71, beautician - "It's a good idea to have a balanced life with work and also time to enjoy the fruits of my labour."
• Mr Seng Lee Fong, 82, club bartender - "Meeting people, chatting with members keep me alert and active."

Not all young workers are thrilled with the government's legislation for the Re-employment of Older Workers. Perhaps they should look at the situation from a more positive point of view. They don't need to support their working parents!

Would adult children deny their parents the right to be happy, productive and financially independent?

(All photos and quotes from The Straits Times.)

AN OPTION FOR OLDER WORKERS: TO BE RETIRED OR REHIRED

Click to enlarge. Source: MOM's newsletter WORKING

Older workers in Singapore have reason to celebrate May Day today. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has implemented not one but several best practices to encourage companies to rehire older workers.

There is the ADVANTAGE! scheme that offers a grant of up to S$400,000 to companies that re-train and re-employ workers aged 62+. Next up is the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP).

Two of TAFEP's publications

For a one-stop resource centre, there's the Re-employment Portal where employers and employees can look up more information on legislation, workshops, conferences, funding schemes and view video clips of companies that have successfully implemented age-friendly practices at the workplace.

In the week running up to May Day, print ads like the one above appear daily in the local papers. Such ads help to project a positive image of the older worker.

Legislation on re-employment of older workers will only come into effect in January 2012, but the long list of companies already signed on for early adoption of the policies is a clear indication that the millions spent on the campaign is bearing fruit.

For a print version of PM Lee Hsien Loong's May Day message, click here.

YOUNG VS OLD: TIME TO CHANGE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS

Has the generation gap widened so much that there is an urgent need to come up with policies and best practices to foster intergenerational bonding and solidarity not only within the family and the commuity but also at the workplace?

Research findings and Speakers and delegates from 18 countries shared their tresea

GETTING READY FOR THE SILVER INDUSTRY

Meet Joscelyn Tan (2nd from left) and her friends. They are the first batch of students doing a 3-year diploma course in Gerontological Management Studies at Temasek Polytechnic.

With the rise in the number of older adults in countries across the globe, institutions of higher learning, from the University of Pittsburg in the USA to Monash University in Australia, from Keele University in the UK to National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan, are now seeing a parallel increase in student enrolment for courses on gerontology and other age-related programmes.

This is a clear indication that young people are becoming aware of the employment / entrepreneurial opportunities that are opening up in the emerging silver industry.

Click here to get an idea of the courses available for those interested in working with older people. Nothing like getting some paper qualifications to lend credibility to your name if your interest lies in this area of work or, as in my case, community service.

If your daughter (or son) has just completed her A-levels and has yet to decide on what course to take up at tertiary level, you might want to direct her to the field of gerontology and geriatrics.

AT THE 4TH ICIP CONFERENCE 2010

Guest of Honour, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Manpower, Singapore, addressing delegates at the opening of the conference.

In case you are wondering, I am in Singapore attending the 4th ICIP (International Consortium for Intergenerational Programmes) from 26-29 April. The theme for this year is "Linking Generations: Family, Work, Community". I have lots to share but later.

For now, I'll just post some pictures taken yesterday on Day 1. Do check out the links if you wish to know more.

The Intergenerational Bonding (IGB) Awards Presentation ceremony: the six finalists with Mr Gerald Ee, Chairman, Council for Third Age, Singapore, and Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Singapore.

From 18 entries received for the inaugural IGB awards, the field was narrowed down to six finalists:

1. SENIOR MENTORS @ Work from Centre for Seniors
2. THE FAMILI CLUB PROJECT from Dynaforce
3. WITH MY GRANDPA AND GRANDMA INITIATIVE from National Library Board
4. THE GREAT COOK-OFF from Hand Me Down
5. THE BOND PROJECT from WINGS
6. ADVENTURE IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS from YMCA, Singapore

The eventual winners were: WITH MY GRANDPA AND GRANDMA INITIATIVE, THE GREAT COOK-OFF, and THE BOND PROJECT.

To read more about each of the six finalists, click here, and if you are curious to find out more about the IGB awards and the selection criteria, click here.

MAKE TIME FOR OLD FRIENDS

Tony Blair or my Form 6 buddies? That was the decision I had to make yesterday. Should I go listen to Tony Blair speak on Day 2 of the National Achievers Congress, or meet up with my Form 6 classmates some of whom I haven't seen for 44 years?

It was an easy decision to make.

If you have lost touch with friends whom you grew up with, or studied with, it's not too late to re-establish contact. With Google, Facebook, Linked-in and a host of other social networking websites, it is easy enough to search for long-lost buddies.

When my college mates and I finished Form 6 back in 1966, we went separate ways. We were too busy furthering our studies, and then pursuing a career. Before we knew it, along came the children and then one financial commitment after another. There was hardly any time for friends or social activities. All too soon the children grew up and left to start their own career and family.

So now as we move into our mid-60s, we are left with an empty nest. With the children on their own, the mortgage paid up, and a bit of time on our hands, we have no excuse not to look up old friends.

My two years of Form 6 in English College, Johor Baru, were among the best years of my life. They were my coming-of-age years. I discovered rock n roll and BOYS! I learned to dance, went on dates and had my first taste of puppy love. All very innocent though. Most teenagers then were either too naive or too goody-two-shoes to try anything more than holding hands and exchanging love letters! It's a different world now, so I hear.

At our small get-together for lunch yesterday, it was truly a trip down memory lane. We cracked up as we reminisced over the silly things we did. We mimicked our teachers, and exchanged notes on who's where now, doing what, and with whom. And we remembered with some sadness those that have passed on.

Feeling blessed that we can meet up after 44 long years! (Click on pic to enlarge)

We had such a great time we are already planning for the next get-together in Singapore, and another one later in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. One of our buddies started a newspaper there 16 years ago and has promised to organize for us a holiday to remember. If you are reading this and you are an English College alumnus from 1965-66, do get in touch with me through Seniorsaloud or Facebook. I would love to hear from you.

The next time an old friend invites you to a class reunion, GO. It might be the beginning of old friendships rekindled. Remember this quote that we used to write in each other's autograph books before we said goodbye in Standard 6 and Form 5? 

"Make new friends, but don't forget the old,

One is silver, the other is gold."

And here are two more worth sharing as we enter our second prime in life:

"Old friends are the great blessing of one's later years . . . They have a memory of the same events and have the same mode of thinking."

— Horace Walpole

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

ENLIGHTENED ENTREPRENEURS

"Enlightened Entrepreneur" - that's a term I picked up on Day 1 of the on-going 18th National Acheivers Congress. Yup, the same one where Tony Blair was scheduled to share with participants his wealth-generating strategies. Well, he was a no-show, at least not yesterday. Not sure if he had cold feet at the last minute. Certain Muslim groups simply do not want him to set foot on Malaysian soil because of his involvement in the Iraq war. (Update: Blair did show up on Day 2).

But I digress.

An enlightened entrepreneur is a business owner who uses his money and wealth to do good. Think Bill Gates, 55, who recently donated US$10b for vaccine research through his Gates Foundation, or Warren Buffet, 80, who has pledged to give away 85% of his fortune, or about US$37.4 billion to improve health and education, especially in poor nations.

Now China's Yu Pengnian, 88, real estate moghul and hotelier, has joined the ranks of the world's biggest philantropists. He plans to give away his entire fortune of US$470 million in cash and property assets to the Yu Pengnian Foundation, a Hong Kong-registered charity which supports health and education charities and disaster relief. This brings his total donation to US$1.2b.

At a press conference to announce this, he said, "'This will be my last donation. I have nothing more to give away. It will all be for charity, no part of it will be inherited by anyone, no part will be used to do business nor for investment.'

That's the way it should be. Folks who are blessed with great wealth should use it to do good. When there is still so much poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease in the world, how can the rich sleep in peace if they don't lift a finger to help out?

The four Malaysians who made it to the Forbes' list of Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy: (from left) Ananda Krishnan, Ruby Khong, Liew Kee Sin and Francis Yeoh.

(Source: The Star)

Now if I had RM10m, I would give 90% of it to charities. I would keep only RM1m, and still be a millionaire by Malaysian standards!