Working and ageing - The benefits of investing in an ageing workforce

Slowly but steadily, the attitude towards population ageing is changing in Europe. Early reports had described it as a demographic time bomb with negative consequences for economies and societies. But these changes are increasingly seen as harbingers of opportunity and the emerging ‘silver economy’ as a driver of future growth.
This publication, which marks the European Year 2012 for active ageing and solidarity between generations, contributes to the debate by providing new insights that are based on the latest research and best practices in Europe and the Member States.
The evidence points towards the importance of demonstrating the benefits of learning to all stakeholders and developing the capacity of organisations to make the best of their employees’ abilities at any age. Download Working and ageing.
Press release - Despite changing attitudes, employers are not yet prepared for an ageing workforce Cedefop study draws implications for human resource management and training policies
Attitudes toward what used to be called “the demographic time bomb” are improving: Europe’s ageing workforce is increasingly seen as a factor of growth and innovation. Yet while employers are fully aware that the workforce is ageing, they do little to prepare for this change, and certainly not enough to make the best of it.
Cedefop’s latest publication on working and ageing, The benefits of investing in an ageing workforce, collects papers that examine this ‘ageing paradox” and show how investing in learning later in life can bring real benefits to companies as well as individuals. The papers cover, among other EU Member States, Germany, Italy, England, Austria and Belgium, but also look at developments in Canada and the USA; sectors discussed range from the pharmaceutical industry to retail.
The papers collected in this publication emphasise that employers need first and foremost to develop ‘demographic literacy’, i.e. to understand how to create a learner-friendly environment for employees of all ages. Successful companies, research shows, take a life-cycle approach to active ageing, addressing the learning needs of employees from recruitment to retirement. Download Working and ageing.