Operation A.B.L.E. of Greater Boston

CONTACT:

131 Tremont Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 542-4180 x129
www.operationable.net

Joan Cirillo, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Did you know it takes mature workers three times longer to find employment than it does people in their 20s and 30s? Even in a robust economy, mature workers are often forced to take jobs at lower pay and responsibilities, simply to make ends meet.

Operation A.B.L.E. of Greater Boston was founded in 1982 by Ezra Merrill, former president of H.P. Hood & Co., to provide employment and training opportunities to workers over 45 from racially, occupationally, and economically diverse populations. To help clients find placement, A.B.L.E. offers a full-service job listing and resource room; Internet, fax, and phone access; counseling and coaching; and computer skills training. It hosts an annual A.B.L.E. Showcase at the World Trade Center to bring mature job seekers and Human Resources professionals together. And through a Department of Labor grant, it refreshes job search and computer skills for economically-disadvantaged people, aged 55 and up at One-Stop Career Centers in Woburn, Lowell and Quincy.

What is more, the system works—Operation A.B.L.E. has sustained high placement rates since its founding, and in the last two years has placed well over 70% of its clients in new jobs.

(2000: HUMAN SERVICES: Health and Aging: General)