Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
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<strong>Working</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>ageing</strong><br />
Guidance <strong>and</strong> counselling for mature learners<br />
significant shrinkage in the hippocampus in mid-50s in healthy adults (Raz<br />
et al., 2004). Also, activity of the left hippocampus is lower in older adults than<br />
in younger individuals (Mitchell et al., 2000).<br />
5.7. Cognitive training <strong>and</strong> job-related performance<br />
in older workers<br />
Age-related changes in cognition do not necessarily translate into job-related<br />
deficits particularly before the age of 60. This is a surprising finding since age<br />
is associated with cognitive decline <strong>and</strong> cognitive ability is a reliable predictor<br />
of job-related performance (Park, 1994). However, older workers usually have<br />
extensive experience in their job duties <strong>and</strong> are familiar with the relevant<br />
processes of their profession, which allows them to compensate for lost<br />
cognitive abilities. Another possibility is that some older workers have<br />
developed job-related expertise that is valuable to their profession despite<br />
other cognitive declines. In some cases, older workers have a supporting<br />
professional environment (assistants, colleagues) that undertake tasks <strong>and</strong><br />
duties based on specific skills, permitting them to supervise or organise<br />
complex job-related problem-solving. However, research indicates that when<br />
older workers are confronted with novel job dem<strong>and</strong>s they take longer to learn,<br />
are less efficient <strong>and</strong> show less proficiency after training compared to younger<br />
workers (Kubeck et al., 1996; Park, 1994). However, if new tasks are built onto<br />
existing skills older workers are more efficient (Park, 1994). Indeed, recent<br />
involvement with skills related to new job-related dem<strong>and</strong>s helps with<br />
performance in older <strong>and</strong> younger workers. Therefore, it is important to<br />
encourage older workers to engage in lifelong learning to update their skills<br />
continuously <strong>and</strong> maintain a recent <strong>and</strong> modern way of thinking in which they<br />
can encompass new skills.<br />
A large body of research highlights the importance of cognitive training<br />
through lifelong learning in successful <strong>ageing</strong> <strong>and</strong> increased job-related<br />
performance (Kemper, 1994; Lawrence, 1996; Schaie, 1994). Yet some<br />
workers seem reluctant to learn new skills <strong>and</strong> find it difficult to maintain high<br />
job-related performance. It is particularly important for careers counsellors to<br />
identify priorities of senior workers in their personal <strong>and</strong> professional<br />
environments. Optimising efforts on a few selected skills most relevant to the<br />
workerʼs job will increase motivation <strong>and</strong> performance of older workers (Park,<br />
1994). Considering that stress affects cognitive <strong>ageing</strong> negatively <strong>and</strong> given<br />
that older adults experience more uncontrolled stress due to physical <strong>and</strong>