Many European countries are faced with a common challenge: firstly, the ageing of their population which is leading to a changing labour market; and secondly, the need to be receptive to retaining older workers until retirement age and beyond if they are able to work longer.
Managers and human resource professionals need to create a strategy to manage an ageing workforce. Older workers are valuable members of the workforce. The improvement of working environments for an age-diverse workforce should be the challenge for management and may require new ways of working. In most European countries there is a need for changes in current age management practices in the workplace and in realising the value of older workers in the labour market. The challenge is considerable. Until now, such an approach to the working environment has been rare. Knowledge of managers and HR specialists about the problem of age management may be limited by current practices.
Since June 2007, Life Academy have been working with 5 European partners on a European Commission-funded project, entitled manAGE, that will help human resource professionals build new corporate age management strategies.
