‘Encore careers’ combine purpose, passion and a paycheck

It is not news that many Connecticut residents are looking for work.

What is unique is that many older professionals, those over 50 in the boomer generation, are seeking more than just a paycheck in their second half of life. They are looking for employment with a purpose – sometimes known as “encore careers.”

This will be the subject of “What’s Next?: Combine Purpose, Passion and a Paycheck in a Connecticut Encore Career” from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Sept 23 at the Artists Collective in Hartford. (Doors open at 8 a.m. for check-in and light refreshments.)

The event is free and designed for Connecticut professionals over 50 years old who are interested in transitioning their skills and talent to purposeful “encore careers” in the Connecticut nonprofit and social service sector.

“What’s Next?…” sessions include:

Discovering and Creating Encore Careers, featuring former CNN senior correspondent Mark Walton, social entrepreneurs and Civic Ventures Purpose Prize winners Mark Goldsmith and Sharon Rising, and former New York Times “Shifting Careers” columnist, Marci Alboher.

Goldsmith and Rising will share their experiences about leaving their primary careers and starting new encore careers in the social sector.

Alboher will provide tips and expert advice on moving from the private to the nonprofit sector.

Employing Encore Careerists in the Nonprofit Sector: A Program for Nonprofit Employers with Dr. Doe Hentschel, Vice President, Leadership Greater Hartford.

The session will explain the workforce/hiring trends that are affecting the Connecticut nonprofit sector, the benefits of tapping into the seasoned corporate professionals human resource pool, and how nonprofits can host an Encore Fellowship in the next  Encore!Hartford program Spring 2011.

Encore!Hartford: A Connecticut Encore Program, with Dr. David Garvey, Director, University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program

Participants will learn about Encore!Hartford, a three-month workforce training program designed to assist corporate professionals in transitioning their skill-sets for managerial and professional roles in the Connecticut nonprofit sector. (Next class opens in Spring 2011.)

This event will include a networking reception.

For more information on the event and to RSVP go to www.continuingstudies.uconn.edu/professional/nonprofit

Who we are…

The Artists Collective is located at 1200 Albany Avenue, Hartford. Parking is available behind the Artists Collective via Woodland Street off of Albany Avenue. Staff will direct you to additional parking lots for later arrivals.

Civic Ventures is a nonprofit think tank on boomers work and social purpose. The Purpose Prize, a program of Civic Ventures, provides awards of up to $100,000 to individuals making extraordinary contributions in an encore career. Learn more at www.encore.org.

Encore!Hartford is a workforce training program for seasoned corporate professionals transitioning into the Connecticut nonprofit sector.

The program is a statewide partnership of University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program, Leadership Greater Hartford, Connecticut Department of Labor, Capital Workforce Partners, CTWorks, Connecticut Association of Nonprofits and the United Way of Central and Northeast Connecticut. Encore!Hartford’s next program will be launched in Spring 2011.

The Aaron Marks Foundation is a Hartford-based family philanthropy dedicated to enhancing education, human well-being and the environment worldwide.

“What’s Next?” is a collaboration of Civic Ventures (a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose), the University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program and Encore!Hartford.

The event is generously funded by the Aaron Marks Foundation Funds at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Posted Sept. 22, 2010

State Rep. candidate Buckman to host Virtual Community Forum

Here's your chance to vent about some of the issues you'd like to see addressed by the next State Rep for the 54th District. Independent Candidate Brien Buckman is hosting an online-only forum on Sept. 25.

Brien Buckman, an independent candidate for State Representative, will host a Virtual Community Forum on his campaign’s Web site and Facebook page.

The forum, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m., is the first community forum announced by any candidate for State Representative of the 54th District.

“I made a promise to everyone in this district that a discussion of the problems we face as a community would be public and accessible. In addition to the debates and forums being sponsored by organizations around Mansfield and Chaplin, this forum is easy to access and participate in,” Buckman said.

Participants must either go to Buckman’s campaign site, www.BrienBuckman.com, or Buckman’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/BuckmanforCT on Sept. 25.

Participants will be able to send questions to Buckman throughout the forum.

“As the only candidate who has pledged to spend less than $1,000 on campaign activities, I am happy to utilize this inexpensive but effective opportunity to communicate with residents in Mansfield, Chaplin,” and other towns, said Buckman, who is currently a University of Connecticut student.

Buckman noted that this technology has been available for years, and that the state should make note of such easy, cost effective methods.

Brien Buckman, candidate for State Representative 54th District. Courtesy photo.

“The internet, and recent technology in general, provides many opportunities for our state to not only cut costs, but communicate with more residents of Connecticut,” he said.

Buckman is also interested in hearing from residents through email and on the phone.

Contact information is listed on the Buckman for Connecticut website and Facebook page.

Those interested in following the campaign can visit www.BrienBuckman.com and www.Facebook.com/BuckmanforCT.

Posted Sept. 22, 2010