Page 14 - Working-and-ageing-Guidance-and-counselling-for-mature-learning

3062_EN_C1_Layout 1 11/23/11 4:21 PM Page 8

CHAPTER 1
Setting the scene:

promoting an inclusive labour

market for ageing workers

Jasper van Loo, Christian Lettmayr, Mika Launikari

With population ageing starting to have real impacts on society and the labour
market, debates on its consequences in terms of employment and
sustainability of pension and social security systems are increasingly
considering implications for lifelong learning of older adults. This introductory
chapter places population ageing in a context of several important societal
trends. It contains an analysis of the situation of older workers in the European
Union, assesses the impact of skills upgrading and describes recent trends in
career management. After reflecting on the implications for career guidance
and counselling, an overview of the different contributions in this publication
is presented.

1.1. Introduction

Effects of population ageing are increasingly visible in many societies across
the world. When the debate about the ageing phenomenon started three
decades ago, it was approached as a trend with distant future consequences
but we are now at a turning point where concrete effects are starting to appear.
Discussion on population ageing and its impact has traditionally focused on
its implications for employment and sustainability of pension and social
security systems. Governments and policy-makers have responded with
initiatives that increase labour-market participation among older people, curtail
early labour market exit routes and increase the statutory pension age.
Relatively recently, the question of how to support people in having longer
careers has become central to discussions about ageing populations
(Cedefop, 2010c). A shift in attitudes and behaviour towards older workers will
be required to turn demographic trends into economic opportunities and
ensure sustainable social development across countries. This has reinforced