Waco, Texas — Experience Works, the nation’s largest training and employment organization for mature workers, is searching for the Texas outstanding older worker.  Outstanding older workers from every state; the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico; America’s Oldest Worker; and outstanding employers of older workers, will be honored in Washington, D.C., and in their home states for their contributions to the workforce and local communities. 
 
Experience Works Prime Time Awards program is part of Experience Works’ national effort to raise awareness of the contributions made by older individuals and to break down barriers associated with the hiring of older workers. 
 
Texas is currently soliciting nominations from businesses and individuals. 
 
Applicants must be 65 years of age or older, a resident of Texas, currently employed, and working at least 20 hours each week for pay.  The honoree must be willing and able to travel to Washington, D.C., in September for the Prime Time Award events. 
 
The visit will include meetings with congressional representatives, a tour of the city’s landmarks, and the awards banquet and ceremony.  Applicants who are part of a subsidized employment program funded by the local, state or national government are not eligible for this award. 
 
Official nomination forms may be obtained from Experience Works, Inc., 801 Washington Ave., Waco, Texas, 76701 phone 877-781-9953 or 903-327-8417.  An online nomination form or a printed nomination form can be accessed online at www.experienceworks.org.  
 
The deadline for nominations is May 31, 2006.  A search for America’s Oldest Worker for 2006 is also under way.  Last year, 100-year-old Dwight Hauff, owner of Hauff Sporting Goods in Sioux City, Iowa, was named America’s Oldest Worker. 
 
The Texas 2005 outstanding older worker was 80-year-old Jeanna Vaughn.  When asked what she considered the most important attribute a worker can bring to the workplace, she replied, “Honesty, good work habits, morals and ethics.”  Her advice to older people entering the workforce is, “Take care of your health and maintain a positive outlook, keep active with your social and spiritual life.”    
 
Experience Works is a national, nonprofit organization that provides training and employment services for mature workers. Established in 1965 as Green Thumb, and renamed Experience Works in 2002, the organization reaches more than 125,000 mature individuals in all 50 states and Puerto Rico each year.
 
Contact:  Phyllis Gipson, Experience Works at 877-781-9953, or Cheryl Young at 903-327-8417.