US Baby Boomers to Provide Talent Pool for China
November 21, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ambassador Tom Miller, President and CEO of International Executive Service Corps (IESC) discussed the competition for global talent at the Shenzhen Forum on Competition for Global Talent earlier this month.
President and CEO, Ambassador Miller, said, “I think that newly retired Americans, which we call baby boomers, are a tremendous source of talent for China in its search for global professionals.”
Ambassador Miller was speaking at the Shenzhen Forum on the sidelines of the 12th International Conference of Professionals, a gathering aimed at connecting China with the rest of the world’s talents, wisdom, technology, projects, and management. Miller described how the number of baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) had reached 76 million in the United States in 2011, and yet many look upon retirement as a time to stay active and begin a new chapter in their lives. Such talented individuals want to find meaningful work after reaching retirement age in order to keep healthy and to contribute something important.
“They could live 20 years longer than their parents’ generation due to improved conditions and, as they put more value on their self-worth, they are willing to explore their value after retirement in a country like China with huge opportunities,” he said.
According to Ambassador Miller, an aging population is an issue of true magnitude for the U.S. and the western world. If our institutions and societies do not find ways to utilize this tremendous talent base, then the drain on our economy and on our social fabric will be huge. IESC does not have the complete answer, but for nearly 50 years it has been setting an example of what can be done by sending volunteer experts to developing countries that need U.S. managerial and technical expertise. Like many retired people, IESC’s volunteers have tremendous practical experience, well above what you get from a formal education, which has proven to be so valuable to entrepreneurs and private enterprises in many developing countries, and perhaps China in the near future.
International Executive Service Corps (IESC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to private sector solutions to economic development. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 137 countries, designing, implementing, managing and evaluating a wide range market-driven solutions for a company or industry. IESC’s experts have helped create or preserve more than 1.5 million jobs around the world, leaving behind a legacy of increased wealth and skills, burgeoning private businesses, and strengthened democratic institutions where they are needed most.
For more information on IESC, please visit: www.iesc.org (English) and www.iesc.org/china.aspx (Chinese).
Media Contact:
Lisa Chensvold
lchensvold@iesc.org
T: 202-589-2600
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