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Working and ageing
12 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

1.2.2. Changing work and emerging skill needs
The nature of work is changing due to new technology and computerisation
and the dynamics of modern work organisation. Baethge et al. rightly pointed
out that this does not only hold for knowledge-intensive work. Across the board:
(a) there is a clear need for extended basic general knowledge next to
occupational expertise;
(b) there are higher requirements for analytical and problem-solving skills;
(c) demand for social-communicative skills is increasing (Baethge et al., 2006
cited in Bohlinger and van Loo, 2010, p. 34).
In addition to changing skill requirements in most types of work, employers
demand greater flexibility. Quantitative flexibility in terms of the amount and
distribution of work hours; and qualitative flexibility in terms of assignments
(work content) and willingness to learn. Organisations need greater
productivity and flexibility, and innovation to respond properly to market
conditions (Hiltrop, 1995).
As most jobs are becoming more knowledge- and skills-intensive, Europe
has to continue investing in education and training to increase human capital
to promote competence-development and innovation (Cedefop, 2010a).
Training systems have not been sufficiently capable of equipping workers and
job-seekers with skills and competences required by employers (European
Commission, 2011b). Governments have been introducing skills and
competence strategies not just to help people into jobs, but to help break
working cycles of low skills, unemployment, short-term jobs and low wages.
As part of these strategies many countries have taken concrete measures to
improve assessment and recognition of skills acquired throughout life as well
as to support adults´ participation in education and training (Cedefop, 2011;
European Commission, 2006, 2007a).
One of the challenges is how to match (in quantity and quality) supply and
demand. For the time being, however, national labour markets are not well
balanced as there are shortages of adequate skills in some regions, sectors
and occupations coinciding with relatively high levels of unemployment
(European Commission, 2010c). To this end, with the new skills for new jobs
initiative, the Council of the European Union (2009c) aims at establishing a
mechanism for regular assessment of long-term skills supply and demand to
monitor better trends in the European labour markets, develop tools and
services for job-related mobility and address skills mismatches. Proper skills
improve individualsʼ employability, ease employment transitions as well as
support re-entry into the labour market (Cedefop, 2010a), which all are crucial
for older workersʼ more active labour-market participation.