Missouris 25th Annual Outstanding Older Workers of the Year contest is underway and accepting nominations until July 4, 2015. Nominees must be Missouri residents who are age 60 or older; employed at least 20 hours a week in a Missouri job site; and demonstrated success in learning new skills and job training. Regional winners will be selected from across the state and honored in September during a two-day awards ceremony in Jefferson City.

On average, older workers represent 15.5 percent of our states workforce, says Diane Chambers, Missouri state director for Experience Works, a national nonprofit organization operating the Senior Community Service Employment Program in 104 Missouri counties and one of this years organizers. Their strong work ethic, wealth of experience, and dedication greatly impacts the way Missouri does business and this is the perfect way to celebrate that.

Eighty-year-old Tommie Fountain of Lilbourn was one of last years honorees. A van driver for the Southeast Missouri Transportation System (SMTS) in Fredericktown since 1998, Fountain was recognized for his work transporting disadvantaged people to non-emergency medical appointments.

The Outstanding Older Worker of the Year is sponsored by the Missouri Senior Employment Coordinating Committee, including AARP Missouri; Experience Works; Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph; MERS/Missouri Goodwill Industries; Missouri Department of Economic Development/Division of Workforce Development; and the Department of Health and Senior Services/Division of Senior and Disability Services.

To request a nomination form, or for more information call (877) 872-4740 or e-mail Katie Rowland < href="mailto:Katie.Rowland@health.mo.gov" target="_blank">here.

Experience Works is located in Springfield at 1722 S. Glenstone (in the Glenstone Square).

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