SILVER – Promoting a Career in the Third Age

An Erasmus+ project aiming for more age-friendly workplaces and more older workers with increased job satisfaction.

Grant Agreement Number: 2020-1-UK01-KA204-078907

Funded by: Erasmus+ Duration: 01/09/2020 – 31/08/2023

Challenge

EU faces a rise of labour force participation of older people. According to the European Central Bank, since 2000, the labour force participation rate of older workers showed the largest increase in the euro area when compared to other age cohorts. The participation rate has been increasing for almost all age groups. Yet, while it has been rising only modestly for those below the age of 55, and even slightly decreasing for the 15-24 age group, the participation rate has increased since 2000 by around 15 percentage points for those in the euro area aged between 55 and 74. For those aged between 55 and 64 years, the rise has been well over 20 percentage points.

At the same time, the EU faces challenges in promoting older people’s rights and respecting their added value in a “silver economy”, and interventions should begin to focus also on the anticipation of the third age (AGE Platform 2015). Adult- and non-formal learning are key to address societal challenges and the participation of older people in education is mostly employer-supported. Employers play an important role on active ageing practices by providing “relevant and efficient training” or “measures supporting lifestyle adaptations” (Adult Education in EU 2019, Global Report on Adult Learning 2019, EU Employers’ organisations, 2012).

In this framework, there is a common need in EU countries for a new approach in human resources policies that promotes active ageing, and proactive, rather than reactive, age management practices.

Innovation

The SILVER project aims to create a coordinated response for the promotion of a career in the third age. It seeks more age-friendly workplaces and more older workers with increased job-satisfaction, raising awareness among employers and employees and increasing the ability of managers and HR staff to implement tailor-made measures.

Action

National reports will be conducted about age-friendly workplaces, in the form of a collection of practices, stories and perspectives from employers and employees. These reports will be combined in one collection at the partnership level, including a set of recommendations for policies at a local and organisational level.

An online tool will be developed, which will provide a two-fold self-assessment questionnaire for employers and employees regarding active ageing in the workplace. This tool aims to identify how prepared organisations/employers are to respond to the needs of their older workers, and how aware older workers/employees are to prepare in advance their later years and the process of ageing.

The training course aims to offer an integrative structure, based on formal learning methodologies to managers, HR and professionals working in organisations, to promote active ageing and retirement lifestyles among older workers, including age-friendly workplaces.

SILVER will create a series of 21 materials and resources to support the implementation of adapted plans and actions targeting older workers in organisations. The toolbox will target facilitators, educators, managers and HR professionals to use them in workshops with older workers. It will consist of informational sheets, presentations, worksheets, exercises, awareness games and other types of resources to deliver individually or in group activities. The toolbox aims to provide knowledge and to effectively induce awareness, empowerment and change, building older workers’ capacity to engage in active ageing in the workplace.