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Thessaloniki

12-13 October 2006

Aviana Bulgarelli, Director, Cedefopaviana.bulgarelli@cedefop.europa.eu

Promoting lifelong learning for older workers

Cedefop AGORA

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Agora is drawing on a Cedefop research arena network -‘Older workers and lifelong learning’

• The network brings together about 25 researchers to pool their knowledge and develop new ideas for European policy – anthology just published.

• Cedefop and the International Research Institute of Stavenger (IRIS) are leading this project.

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‘Ageing Europe’

• This has become a critical issue for policy makers in Europe – hence the importance of this Agora.

• According to EU Lisbon benchmark – older workers are defined as those between 55 and 64 years of age.

• By 2009, the size of the youngest working age cohort (15-24 years) will dive below the age of the oldest cohort (55-64 years) – see next slide

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Younger and older age groups in the EU25 (1995-2030)

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

15-24

55-64

Source EC, Confronting demographic change: a new solidarity between the generations, 2005 p. 20

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What is to be done?

• The financial consequence of an ageing Europe has alarmed policy-makers. It is not a surprise that current policy debates are overshadowed by discussions on pension reform and increasing the age at which people are entitled to take their retirement pension.

• However, according to Vladimir Spiňdla, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, the problem of an ‘ageing Europe’ needs to be addressed from many other perspectives.

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Employment, social and learning responses are needed (1)

• Building ‘active ageing strategies’ (Joint Employment Report, 2005/2006)

• ‘Actions (in Member States) often rely on piecemeal measures in the area of tax benefits and pension reforms discouraging early retirement rather than on increasing employability and participation through the life cycle’ (Joint Employment Report, 2004/2005)

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Employment, social and learning responses are needed (2)

• An earlier European Commission document focusing on ‘active ageing’ outlined a range of issues on working life that need to be tackled in an integrated way:

• adoption of a ‘dynamic life cycle approach’ to a person’s life;

• creation of more jobs, while at the same time ensuring better quality in work;

• supporting higher and adaptable skills at work through lifelong learning;

• building partnerships between the different public and private stakeholders to ensure that the above actions are implemented.‘Increasing labour force participation and promoting active ageing’ (EC, 2002)

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The Lisbon strategy targets

At the Lisbon European Council (March 2000) the EU set new strategic goals. By 2010 the Member States agreed to achieve the following targets relating to older workers: • An employment rate of 50% of older workers (55-64) by 2010.• An average level of participation in lifelong learning of at least 12.5% of the adult working age population (25-64).

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Employment rate of older workers in 2005 (1)

The employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 as a percentage of the total population of the same age group.

Labour Force Survey, 2005

2005

EU (25-countries) 42.5

EU (15-countries) 44.1

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Employment rate of older workers in 2005 (2)

EU25

2005 2005 2005

Austria 31.8 Hungary 33.0 Slovakia 30.3

Belgium 31.8 Ireland 51.6 Slovenia 30.7

Czech Rep. 44.5 Italy 31.4 Spain 43.1

Cyprus 50.6 Latvia 49.5 Sweden 69.4

Denmark 59.5 Lithuania 49.5 UK 56.9

Germany 45.4 Luxembourg 31.7

Estonia 56.1 Malta 30.8 Bulgaria 34.7

Finland 52.7 Netherlands 46.1 Romania 39.4

France 37.9 Poland 27.2 Iceland 84.3

Greece 41.6 Portugal 50.5 Norway 65.5

Labour Force Survey, 2005

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Employment rate of older workers in 2005 (3)

- comparison with competitor countries

EU25 42.5

United States (2004) 59.9

Japan (2004) 63.0

Labour Force Survey, 2005

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Participation in lifelong learning 2005 (1) – very low

COUNTRYAGE

55-59

AGE

60-64COUNTRY

AGE

55-59

AGE

60-64

EU 25 6.0 3.6 Finland 14.0 10.1

Austria 7.0 5.7 France 3.2 1.4

Belgium 5.6 3.9 Greece 0.1 0.1

Czech Rep. 2.5 1.3 Hungary 0.4 0.2

Cyprus 1.5 0.9 Ireland 4.6 3.2

Denmark 18.4 13.7 Italy 2.3 1.2

Germany 4.1 2.1 Latvia 3.8 1.8

Estonia 0.7 1.6 Lithuania 1.7 1.6

Labour Force Survey, 2005

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Participation in lifelong learning 2005 (2) – very low

COUNTRYAGE

55-59

AGE

60-64COUNTRY

AGE

55-59

AGE

60-64

Luxembourg 3.3 2.5 Sweden 12.3 10.2

Malta 3.1 2.3 UK 22.7 19.3

Netherlands 8.5 6.2 Bulgaria 0.1 -

Poland 1.1 0.4 Romania 0.1 0.1

Portugal 0.8 0.5 Croatia 0.2 0.2

Slovakia 2.4 1.4 Iceland 17.8 14.1

Slovenia 7.1 6.5 Norway 12.8 7.1

Spain 5.5 4.3 Switzerland 21.7 15.2

Labour Force Survey, 2005

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‘Non-participation’ in lifelong learning by age group

Source: Eurobarometer on lifelong learning, 2002

15-24 40.7

25-39 62.1

40-64 66.9

55+ 85.6

Age group %

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Lifelong learning policies for ‘active ageing’ are needed

1. Adult forms of learning and training.2. Guidance and life/work-planning measures based on

dialogue – not just immediately jumping into specific occupational training.

3. Utilise opportunities for non-formal and informal learning which suit older workers - most learning takes place informally (Descy in Cedefop OWLLL book).

4. New training programmes in line with the above offered by HRD and VET professionals in companies and public training bodies are needed.

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Create work environments for ageing and learning

This means building ‘age-friendly work places’ which take the ‘ageing process’ into account (Dworschak in Cedefop OWLLL book).

These workplaces:• introduce ‘ageing appropriate job design’ so that

people avoid physical or mental occupational health risks;

• promote co-responsibility for lifelong learning.

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Age-friendly work places

1. Provide a ‘supportive work environment’ to promote ‘active ageing’ and continuous learning.

2. Provide flexible work environments for employees as they go through the life cycle.

3. Monitor work and learning motivational factors.

Proactive measures are needed to prepare younger and ‘middle-aged’ workers for an ‘active ageing’ mentality.

It is not just a question of doing something when people become older workers – then it may be too late !