After four decades in Maryland state government, Dorothy Johns is a teacher’s aide in Baltimore. Photo by Christine Vestal, Stateline.org.

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A front-page story in USA Today features a new policy paper from Civic Ventures that describes new state policies and programs to engage experienced adults in meaningful work and community service.

“The most interesting and innovative policy work on the aging of America is taking place at the state level," said John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures, a nonprofit think tank that issued the report. "From Sacramento to Annapolis, state legislatures are shifting the focus from the same old doom and gloom scenario to a much more complex and hopeful picture.”

The story highlights programs in Arizona, California and Maryland and mentions a year-long National Governors Association program that encourages states to tap skills of older workers.

Called Building an Experience Dividend: State Governments Lead Call to Engage Boomers, the paper identifies states that are taking advantage of the upside of the aging of the baby boom generation by developing policies and programs to make the best use of boomer experience. The report was funded by The UPS Foundation.

In Arizona, which has several counties with more than 25 percent of the population over the age of 60, a statewide Mature Workforce Initiative is developing a certification program for businesses deemed “mature-worker friendly.”

California is matching boomers’ desire to serve with specific labor shortages, such as the demand for math and science teachers and qualified managers in the public sector. California’s eServices office has created a database for retired job seekers to input their skills and interest, and for employers to search for employees.

In Maryland, the Baby Boomer Initiative Act spurred the creation of the Boomer Initiative Council, which is developing strategies to keep boomers engaged in their communities through work and volunteer opportunities.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick called for the creation of a Commonwealth Corps to give residents new opportunities to make significant commitments to service.

And in New York, Assemblyman Steve Englebright and State Senator Martin Golden
have introduced a package of eight bills they hope will jumpstart the state’s efforts to prepare for an aging workforce.

“For now, the greatest strides are taking place at the state level,” noted Shirley Sagawa, a founder of the modern service movement in the United States. “We expect the policies that prove successful to serve as models for the federal government in the future.”