Job fair aimed at financial security and dignity for senior citizens

“I’ve worked in marketing for paper and paper products for 35 years, and I retired six years ago, but with the loss of my child in the recent months, I am now looking at opportunities that help sustain my livelihood,” said Jaganath Rao, a 66-year-old resident of Bengaluru, who was at a job fair for senior citizens here on Sunday.

Addressing the growing financial insecurity among India’s elderly, Nightingale Empowerment Foundation and Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) organised their 10th edition job fair for senior citizens at St. Joseph’s University. The initiative, held in collaboration with St. Joseph’s University and the Archdiocese of Bangalore, aims to connect older adults with employment opportunities that can provide both financial independence and dignity.

“One of the biggest challenges faced by elders in India is financial insecurity. Out of nearly 15 crore senior citizens in India, about 75% are financially dependent and are often deprived of a life of dignity. At the same time, seniors between 60 and 70 years remain physically fit, skilled, and motivated to work but struggle to find suitable job chances,” said S. Premkumar Raja, co-founder and honorary secretary of NMT.

“I was an administrator at a private bank for 13 years, and I retired at 58. With a year break due to my surgery, getting back to the workforce posed a problem, and this is a great platform for people like me to connect and network,” remarked Mary Regina.

Radha S. Murthy, co-founder and managing trustee of NMT, added, “A considerable setback is the current unreliable job market. With the younger generation navigating the employment sector, seniors are often overlooked, but there is a need for experienced intellect that the companies should perceive.”

Susheela, an employer from an insurance company, stated, “We’ve collaborated with NMT for three years now and hired numerous senior employees. With increasing participants over the years, we always look forward to having experienced candidates on our team.”

“The senior employees hired at our company experience no deviations in their salary; they are paid in line with the market demands, along with benefits like PF and insurance. They’re our fixed assets working across departments, including finance, supply chain, the audit team, warehouse, and also in cash sectors,” added Sandesh, HR at Hatti Kaapi.

Addressing the tangible outcomes, Pradeep Murthy, Director of Operations of NMT, stated, “Over the past nine editions of this job fair, over 8,500 job seekers have been registered, there has been involvement of more than 450 companies, and around 4,000 senior citizens have been placed, with 80% of them being retained in the first three months.”

EOM