PAI Review Project Overview

Article 2:
A Multi-Generational Workplace:
A Win-Win Workplace for All
A multi-generational workplace is an exciting and dynamic place to work. It presents many opportunities to
share knowledge, talents, and creativity between employees of all ages. Yet the engagement of employees
from across age groups frequently remains untapped as a rich resource for organizations. When used well,
it has the potential to contribute to insights and experiences relevant to the well-being of all employees. It
also brings the potential to enhance workplace productivity. Today, age diversity is the widest ever that has
been experienced across organizations. This is chiefly due to the increased global ageing population. By
2050, the world population of people aged 60 years of age and over will double (2.1 billion). Indicators are
that many people will continue to work beyond the currently accepted retirement age of 60-65.
Challenge now facing organizations is how to best manage this diversity of their employees across age and
experience? A key strategy emerging is to re-examine our current narratives on ageing. Beliefs and attitudes
have for many years viewed older people within a stereotyped model of ageing. This is chiefly to perceive
ageing as a negative part of our lifespan, a time to be feared. Today, growing research across health,
education and the sciences demonstrate the opposite. How we perceive ageing impacts all of us
regardless of our age. Understanding ageing as a positive time in our lives is as important for young people
as it is for older people. It provides opportunities in the workplace to embrace the knowledge, expertise,
wisdom and vitality of both older and younger generations shared together. This is to see that a
multi-generational workforce has much to contribute to the wealth of knowledge and talent of employees,
not despite but because of our diversity of ages. This understanding brings with it the potential to share
skills, wisdom, life experiences and knowledge relevant to all. Strategies to help employers and employees
to understand the potential of a multigenerational workforce as a strength is a key strategy for using this
resource to its fullest potential. Multigenerational workforces are a win-win organisation for all employees.
Trudy Corrigan was the founder of the DCU Intergenerational Learning Programme (DCUILP) and a
co-founder of the DCU Age Friendly University initiative (AFU) which started in DCU in 2012. This was in
partnership with other colleagues from DCU and from Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of
Strathclyde Glasgow. Trudy is a lecturer and researcher with an interest in innovative teaching strategies in
adult education and lifelong learning.
She is interested in the development of Intergenerational and Multigenerational Learning from early childhood
through to higher education learning. This includes an expertise and interest in the development of
intergenerational engagement in work based practices. She is interested in Teacher Education and Advanced
Teaching Structures. Trudy is keen to develop policy and practice which fosters and develops
intergenerational engagement in the workplace and in education. This is in developing intergenerational
learning in higher education to promote the use of expertise and wisdom relevant for both older and younger
people teaching and learning together. She is very interested in the intersection between education, health
and well-being for both older and younger people.