Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa
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40<br />
<strong>Working</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>ageing</strong><br />
Guidance <strong>and</strong> counselling for mature learners<br />
Lagging labour productivity could induce employers to take measures to<br />
improve productivity of employees <strong>and</strong> as such retain personnel.<br />
Nevertheless, our results show that few measures are taken <strong>and</strong> certainly no<br />
measures meant to invest in human capital. Given the importance that issues<br />
like employability, lifelong learning <strong>and</strong> the need for improvement of the<br />
knowledge-based society play in European policy, it is remarkable that so few<br />
employers take measures to invest in older workers. Employers seem to take<br />
on a rather passive role. Unless policy-makers succeed in bridging the gap<br />
between macro <strong>and</strong> micro rationality, all kind <strong>and</strong> lofty words on the role of<br />
older workers <strong>and</strong> the necessity to use their talents run a risk of remaining<br />
empty rhetoric, good ideas with hardly any practical follow-up.<br />
To a large extent, prospects of future older workers will depend on the<br />
capacity of governments <strong>and</strong> social partners to succeed in investing in older<br />
workers <strong>and</strong> investing in lifelong learning. Case studies show that initiatives<br />
to invest in older workers pay off <strong>and</strong> can ease longer working lives.<br />
Investments in human capital <strong>and</strong> employability of workers currently in their<br />
40s or 50s can (at least partly) prevent future problems with older workersʼ<br />
productivity <strong>and</strong> the need for (expensive) repairs of productivity shortages at<br />
a later age. Nevertheless, European employers <strong>and</strong> their organisations are<br />
far from ready to accommodate the <strong>ageing</strong> workforce. Policy <strong>and</strong> practice do<br />
not change overnight <strong>and</strong>, therefore, joint efforts between key stakeholders<br />
at all levels <strong>and</strong> across sectors will be needed to make older workers fully<br />
accepted <strong>and</strong> valued in the labour market.<br />
References<br />
Bohlinger, S.; van Loo, J. (2010). Lifelong learning for <strong>ageing</strong> workers to<br />
sustain employability <strong>and</strong> develop personality. In: <strong>Cedefop</strong> (ed.). <strong>Working</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>ageing</strong>: emerging theories <strong>and</strong> empirical perspectives. Luxembourg:<br />
Publications Office of the European Union.<br />
Borsi, B. et al. (2008). H<strong>and</strong>ling age diversity in the labour market.<br />
Budapest: GKI Economic Research Co. (OFA/2007/ISK/7211/10).<br />
Chiu, W.C.K. et al. (2001). Age stereotypes <strong>and</strong> discriminatory attitudes<br />
towards older workers: an east-west comparison. Human relations,<br />
Vol. 54, No 5, p. 629-661.<br />
Elias, P., Davies, R. (2004). Employer-provided training within the European<br />
Union: a comparative review. In: Sofer, C (ed.). Human capital over the<br />
life cycle: a European perspective. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.