Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa

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Working and ageing
Guidance and counselling for mature learners
these constructs be developed in training for careers advisers of all ages, to
the extent that the adviserʼs age is not relevant? Research in the UK leading
to the DfESʼs report on challenging age (DfES, 2003) concluded that older
people welcomed the sight of some older staff, particularly on the ʻfront-lineʼ,
but that respect, understanding and empathy from staff who were good
listeners and client-centred was paramount. The report proposes ʻthird age
championsʼ among career guidance staff, to ʻact as sources of special
expertise to other membersʼ (DfES, 2003, p. 15).
ʻThird age championsʼ might then be the focus for identifying how to offer
career guidance services. Such staff could develop expertise and bring
knowledge of conceptual frameworks such as those explored in this chapter
to management and delivery of career guidance service, cascading knowledge
and skill as appropriate to other advisers.
10.4. A research agenda
Further research is needed to develop and evaluate careers advisersʼ practice
and how it suits the needs of their older clients. There are broad indications
of how those needs differ from the career needs of younger people, but a
dearth of research addressing the specific group in the decade up to and the
years following conventional retirement age. Few of the studies cited placed
the age group 50-70 years at the centre of attention, and some excluded them
completely (comparing younger with much older people). Many of the studies
included only men or only women, although career patterns and career/life
concerns are inevitably different.
Three strands relating to time, respect and ʻgiving backʼ have been reviewed
here. Further research is needed into the interrelationships between future time
perspective, the psychological contract, work motivation and generativity, both
across the decades of later working life, and whether different between or
common to women and men. OʼNeil and Bilimoria (2005) review womenʼs
development psychology, and propose that distinctive aspects of womenʼs
development is relevant to their career development. This may have an impact
additional to the impact of their child-bearing and family responsibilities. Almost
all studies to date have been cross-sectional, so do not acknowledge age
cohort differences, which are the subject of much comment as ʻbaby boomersʼ
reach retirement age and generations X and Y constitute the younger adult
workforce. None of the studies cited gave regard to change throughout the
period from age 50 to age 70, although within any 20-year period of human