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blame for their inadequate technology skills. Since most of technology experience is acquired through on the job training, a large part of the problem is that younger workers, rather than older workers, tend to receive the skills and training that are required to keep up with the changing technology.

As a response to these stereotypes and resulting discrimination, the Congress passes the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) in 1967. The ADEA partners with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to form the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which enforces laws that prohibit discrimination, including discrimination as defined by the ADEA.

Coverage by the ADEA applies to virtually all employees who are age 40 and older. The Act specifically prohibits discrimination in the areas of hiring, discharge, promotions, compensation, terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Some workers, such as elected officials or private contractors, are not covered by the ADEA, but in general all employers with 20 or more workers are subject to the terms outlined by the ADEA.

The ADEA exists "to promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; and to help employees and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment." In other words, the goal of the ADEA is that older persons will not be judged based on their age, or stereotypes that prevail regarding their age. In the event that age discrimination does occur, the ADEA strives to help both employers and employees find ways to resolve problems arising from an aging work force, both job applicants as well as employees.

Age discrimination comes in many forms. The AARP identifies a few specific cases. For example, employers passing up older workers to hire younger-looking people for the job, being passed over for training, receiving negative performance evaluations and then using those records of poor performance to justify demotion or termination, or being turned down for a promotion for someone younger because the company claims it needs "new blood" are all considered acts of age discrimination. Often employees do not recognize some of these things as discrimination, but according to the ADEA, regardless of the image or goals the company is trying to achieve by hiring younger workers, (i.e. a

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