Video, 10:59 min 

Host Kelli Phillips interviews Helen Hirsh Spence about why she was motivated to become a social entrepreneur and why she created Top Sixty Over at the age of sixty-seven. Helen discusses internalized ageism, gendered ageism, and longevity literacy. She emphasizes that most employers don’t understand that the North American demographic shift (where we have more people over the age of 65 than we do under the age of 15) is here to stay. If we do not retain older adults in the workplace, we are going to lose individual and corporate knowledge. Older adults today are the best-educated, ethnically diverse, and technologically savvy ever.

You can watch the interview by tuning into BizTV at the following dates and times:

Monday, February 19, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT
Monday, February 19, 2024 at 11:00 PM ET / 10:00 PM CT
Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 8:00 pm ET / 7:00 PM CT

Or, after the interview has aired the final time, you will be able to view it at your leisure on BizTV’s live stream HERE.

By Helen Hirsh Spence

When I saw the subject line, CBC media request, in a recent email I had no idea what the request would be. I had pitched the concept of ageism in the workforce to CBC on a number of occasions in the past, but never heard back.

Thanks to the buzz about Biden’s age, there have recently been numerous articles about the topic, and CBC decided to focus on it for Cross Country Checkup on February 18. I was invited to open up the segment and provide some background.

Needless to say, I am always willing to advocate for older adults and especially highlight the importance of including age in the diversity mix. You can listen to the program HERE.

Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio ONE is broadcast live simultaneously through six time zones across the country every Sunday afternoon, between 4-6 pm ET on CBC Radio One, and 4-5 pm ET on CBC News Network. It is also available via CBC’s podcast, “Checkup in 60” and around the world on Facebook Live.

Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau, hosts of the weekly podcast, Women Over 70, Aging Reimagined, speak with Helen Hirsh Spence about everyday ageism in Episode 261. Helen emphasizes the need for a longevity focus, encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and cautions against internalized ageism which undermines the potential of older adults. For instance, the siloing of older adults in retirement villages is not always beneficial. If one is always surrounded by people of the same age group, cognitive ability may decline. Residents may not be as stimulated or become less curious. There is so much to be gained by contact with, and dialogue between generations. Duration, 32.20 min

Watch on YOUTUBE HERE

Janette Burke, host of JanettesTV-Instagram, interviews Helen Hirsh Spence about internalized ageism and women’s experiences with gendered ageism. Helen explains how older adults, especially women, can use their knowledge and experience to find their purpose and create businesses that express their passions. No matter our current ages, all of us would be wise to get a head start on imagining the next stage (or stages) of our lives. With longer lifespans and health spans, that could mean another thirty years or so following your anticipated “retirement”. Video, 14:30 min.
WATCH HERE

Mira Brancu, Ph.D. explores age diversity and gendered ageism with Top Sixty’s Helen Hirsh Spence and the five ways organizations can improve their DEI initiatives to address ageism. Ageism affects all genders but is often excluded from diversity initiatives. Women face gendered ageism, impacting their career opportunities. Internalized ageism and sexism can add to the problem. Organizations can combat gendered ageism with education, mentorship, equal opportunities, and resource groups.

Digital Accessibility Expert, Flora Bazie, chats with Helen Hirsh Spence about the Longevity Dividend and Embracing 100 Years of Life. Says Helen, “We [now] have a longevity dividend of about 30 years.  Our grandchildren, because of medical and technological advances, and a much better understanding of nutrition and lifestyle, have an expected average lifespan of 100. What are we going to do with those years?

Canada’s population of adults over 65 already exceeds seven million. These are people who unselfishly volunteer to do work, mentor, coach, and make significant philanthropic contributions of skills and money.

By Stu McNish, Special to the Vancouver Sun

Sorry, but we’re looking for someone younger who will stay with us longer. “These are just some of the reasons employers use to overlook talented over 60 applicants,” says Helen Hirsh Spence of Top Sixty Over Sixty. The group’s mission, according to its website, is to “provide tools and training to address ageism and promote age diversity in the workplace.”
Read the article HERE, then scroll down within the article to view the video of the entire conversation. (Video, 25:12 min.)

Top Sixty Over Sixty partnered with @mediaplanetCA on the Empowering Aging Canadians campaign to highlight the prevalence of ageism in the workplace and how it is a contributing factor to the labour shortage in Canada today. Mediaplanet’s Empowering Aging Canadians insert appeared in The Toronto Star on Saturday, December 17, 2022.
Read Helen Hirsh Spence’s article, Demographics and Ageism Contribute to Labour Shortage in Canada HERE.
(Estimated read:  3:53 min.)