Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa

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72 Working and ageing Guidance and counselling for mature learners as two sides of a continuum on which learning activities are situated (e.g. Malcolm et al., 2003; Billett, 2001; Boekaerts and Minnaert, 1999). This implies that employees do not participate in purely ʻformalʼ or ʻinformalʼ learning, but rather in one or more activities that differ from one another with regard to their degree of formality (Horstink, 2008). And according to Van der Heijden et al. (2009), participation in a mix of formal and more informal HRD activities can improve employability. However, employees differ in their involvement in HRD activities. Funk (2004) noticed that investments in labour market-relevant qualifications continuously decrease as retirement approaches, and company policies are hardly directed at improving older workersʼ employability through training and development initiatives (see also De Lange et al., 2005). The level of participation in these activities differs considerably between age groups (Horstink, 2008; Shore et al., 2003; Forrier and Sels, 2003). Older workers remain underrepresented in most forms of training and development (Klomp, 2010; Wognum and Bos-Horstink, 2010), although a faster decline in older workersʼ participation is visible for more formal HRD activities compared to more informal ones. Although some literature shows no age differences with respect to motivation to learn (De Lange et al., 2005), many studies report a negative link between age and learning motivation (Colquitt et al., 2000; Lange, 2010). Various studies also showed that older people prefer other learning activities compared to their younger colleagues. Older people do not prefer formal learning. Development by means of ʻlearning by doingʼ, on-the-job learning and coaching seems more appropriate for their career development (Rhebergen and Wognum, 1997). It also appears that content of learning plays a clear role in older workers learning preferences. Wognum et al. (2006) found that older pharmacistʼs assistants prefer workplace learning for acquiring communication and interactive skills, but want to learn, for example, computer skills, by attending courses. Older employees, as well as their younger colleagues, could take advantage of a work environment that supports and stimulates their learning and development (De Lange et al., 2005). A healthy learning climate within organisations seems to be an important organisational factor for improving older and younger workersʼ employability (Van der Heijden et al., 2009). According to Oosterbeek (1998), employeesʼ age appears to be an important factor regarding ability to learn, because the potential benefits of training vary directly in line with age. Skills acquired early on make later learning easier, as Heckman (2000) stated. However, competence
CHAPTER 4 Individual and organisational predictors influencing ageing workersʼ employability 73 development is still important for low and higher educated mature workers as abilities are not fixed and can be altered; schooling produces ability while ability creates a demand for schooling (Heckman, 2000). The study of Collins et al. (2009) is relevant when bearing in mind employeesʼ individual social exchange relationship with their supervisor (LMX), and the ageing workforce. They found that older workers expect less from their younger supervisors than younger workers. Older employees with younger supervisors will probably show more severe participation deficits in training and development activities than their peers with same-aged supervisors. Since participation in these activities can be regarded as a necessary means to improve employability, it can be expected that older employees with younger supervisors will have the most serious shortcomings in employability (Sopranos, 1999). 4.5. Two studies on factors affecting ageing workersʼ employability Based on the above theory, Breukers (2010) and Wittpoth (2011), master students at the University of Twente (NL), recently carried out two studies to identify factors that could affect ageing workersʼ employability. Both students selected a large industrial company in the Netherlands facing an ageing workforce. The average age in Breukersʼ study was 47.2 years, and 40 years in the Wittpoth study. Breukers collected data by means of a paper and pencil questionnaire among a stratified random sample of 298 employees and obtained a 76% response rate. Wittpoth gathered data using a paper and pencil questionnaire among 332 employees and achieved a response rate of nearly 40%. Breukers focused on predictors that affect employability with emphasis on personal factors, motivation and ability to learn, and organisational factors, namely learning climate, job rotation, and supervisor support. She hypothesised that both individual factors are positively related to employability, with age having a negative moderating effect on the relationship between motivation and ability to learn, on the one hand, and employability, on the other. She also hypothesised that discerned organisational factors are positively related to employability. Regarding age, she expected a positive moderating effect on the relationship between job rotation and learning climate, and all five dimensions of employability, but a negative moderating effect in case supervisor support was the predictor variable.
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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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122 Working and ageing Guidance and
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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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CHAPTER 13 A Swedish programme for
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CHAPTER 14 Realising the potential
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CONCLUSIONS Ageing Europe at work -
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EN Working and ageing Guidance and
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Working and ageing - Cedefop - Europa

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