Communiqué July 2006
Important notice!
If you would like to receive Communiqué by email (10 issues a year), please sign up now.
In this issue:
Previous issues of Communiqué
Director’s diary
Managing age productively
The ageing of the workforce is an issue of vital importance for everyone in the European Union. To achieve more sustainable economic and social development, the EU has set itself the target of increasing the employment rate of older people. For this to be successful, governments, social partners and organisations need to work together to develop the skills and employability of older people while maintaining the health, motivation and capacities of workers as they age.
Successful age management in the workplace demands a rethinking of traditional approaches to employment, training, skills development, the organisation of time, the promotion of health and workplace design. Age discrimination and negative stereotypes of older workers must be tackled, while working conditions and employment opportunities must be adapted to an age-diverse workforce.
The Foundation’s recently published report, A guide to good practice in age management, looks at case studies from a range of organisations across the EU that have introduced good practices in recruiting, supporting and retaining older workers. By presenting examples of good practice, it aims to assist all those with responsibilities for employment in ensuring that age in the workplace is managed productively.
The Foundation will bring its expertise to the Finnish EU Presidency, co-hosting a conference on improving the labour supply in care services to meet the increasing demand of an ageing population, to be held in Helsinki in October.
Jorma Karppinen
Director