Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa

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CHAPTER 14 Realising the potential of older workers in Scotland Graham Smith Scotlandʼs workforce is ageing, resulting in a greater number of adults aged 50 and over in employment or seeking employment than ever before. This presents significant challenges, particularly for older workers remaining in the workplace, with barriers such as employer attitudes and legislation often forcing individuals to reconsider their point of exit from the labour market. Financial circumstances dictate that, for many, early retirement may not be an option. The ʻrealising your potentialʼ project encouraged older adults to reengage in lifelong learning to help improve employability in later life. It was designed, tested and evaluated by the University of Strathclydeʼs centre for lifelong learning. The project methodology was framed around double-loop learning theory and supported individuals through a series of stages to reflect on past experiences, build confidence and motivation for future planning and learning and encourage goal setting to achieve future aspirations. Project findings suggest participation in lifelong learning varies significantly depending on background and initial educational experiences. Coping with uncertainty and managing change are also key factors affecting older workers in the current economic climate, with issues such as job security, changing career trajectory and working beyond statutory retirement age areas of concern. Also, access to appropriate advice and guidance in Scotland, for older adults would appear to be a concern, and project findings will attempt to influence policy on information, advice and guidance to ensure Scotlandʼs national ʻall-age guidanceʼ service considers the capacities, needs and aspirations of older adults. 14.1. Introduction One of Europeʼs greatest challenges is its ageing population. With many EU Member States implementing policies and reforms that encourage older adults to work longer in later life, the employment rate of older adults aged 50+ is
expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Innovative programmes and interventions are required to support older adults update their skills and knowledge and help them reengage in learning to improve their employability and ensure both economic and personal needs are met. ʻTaking no action would weaken the EUʼs ability to meet the future needs of an ageing populationʼ (European Commission, 2009, p. 3). Paradoxically, organisations in a time of economic austerity adopt strategies which adversely affect older workers, for example, through adopting and executing early retirement/redundancy programmes. The true value of the older worker, the tacit knowledge and hidden skills which often exist can often be lost to the labour market. Further, older adults who exit the labour market aged 50+ are less likely to reenter employment than their younger counterparts (TAEN, 2009). This chapter analyses development and implementation of empirical work carried out by the University of Strathclydeʼs centre for lifelong learning. It considers the context and challenges borne by an ageing workforce as well as the correlation between lifelong learning and employability in later life. The theoretical foundation is explained and the methodology of the action research project, ʻrealising your potentialʼ, is presented before concluding with initial findings drawn from project activity up to March 2011 and reflecting on the challenge faced by many older adults. 14.2. Context CHAPTER 14 Realising the potential of older workers in Scotland 263 Writers in the field often make reference to ʻthe ageing workforceʼ, ʻolder workersʼ and ʻlater life workingʼ (Taylor, 2002; Hollywood et al., 2003; Loretto et al., 2005; McNair et al., 2007). It is prudent, therefore, to clarify the context of these meanings. Older workers, the ageing workforce and later life are defined and relate to individuals aged 50 and over, whether in full-time, parttime or self-employment. No upper age limit is assumed as evidence collated from the empirical work carried out includes data from individuals above the current statutory retirement age of 65 for men and 60 for women. Scotland has a unique demographic situation compared to the rest of the UK with three major contributing factors: (a) since the early 1970s total fertility rates have been below the recognised replacement level of 2.1 births per woman resulting in fewer young people; (b) at the same time, advances in medicine and health provision combined with changing attitudes towards healthier lifestyles have contributed to increasing life expectancy;
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EN Working and ageing Guidance and
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A great deal of additional informat
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Foreword Population ageing is one o
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Acknowledgements This publication r
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8. Policy, research and practice: s
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14.2. Participation rates of indivi
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CHAPTER 1 Setting the scene: promot
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To improve quality and transparency
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Gomes present the set-up and outcom
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CHAPTER 2 Do European employers sup
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CHAPTER 5 Cognitive ageing in older
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PART 2 Meeting the challenges - Eme
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unmet demand is limited, as is the
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people in the second phase (25-50)
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CHAPTER 7 Learning, work and later
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are now better than ever before, es
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CHAPTER 8 Policy, research and prac
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will need to be supported by struct
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ʻflexicurityʼ model is challenged
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different forms of retirement (2010
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8.8. Policy considerations CHAPTER
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9.1. Introduction CHAPTER 9 Changin
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CHAPTER 9 Changing patterns of guid
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their continuing learning and devel
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Table 9.4. Use of past work experie
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CHAPTER 10 Career development in la
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life, much will change. Cate and Jo
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CHAPTER 11 Maintaining senior emplo
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Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa

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