Volunteers needed to help remove barriers affecting employees 40 and older

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Hill Air Force Base’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office is inviting individuals interested in helping identify policies, procedures and practices that affect recruitment, representation, retention, and advancement of employees that are 40 and older.

The Forty-Plus Program is managed by Chad Clement, an integrated electronics technician with the Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 523rd Electronics Maintenance Squadron. He is responsible for the concerns of employees over the age of 40 in the areas of hiring, training, mentoring, career development and retention. He serves as an advisor to both the workforce and to management officials, ensuring that all persons regardless of age can participate in the full range of employment opportunities.

Volunteers for the program become part of a Member Employee Resource Group, meeting together monthly via Teams to identify and analyze issues facing the 40 and older workforce. They then help develop solutions to remove barriers and overcome challenges.

The MERG is open to anyone, regardless of age, race or gender, and is integral in enhancing the employment life cycle.

To become a member of a MERG, which serves as a working group to assist and support the Special Emphasis Program Manager and MERG Leads, volunteers must be designated through their supervisory chain of command. They are appointed for a period of two years, where they serve as liaisons, providing information about concerns and needs of employees represented by the program, and aid in the identification and removal of barriers to advancement and career development.

For more information or to join the Forty-Plus MERG, contact Clement at chad.clement.4@us.af.mil or the Hill AFB DEIA office at 75ABW.DEIA.Workflow@us.af.mil.