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Working and ageing
70 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

the content and stimulates them to make use of newly acquired knowledge
(Lange, 2010). Learning motivation is significantly positive related to
employeesʼ feelings about learning and the learning itself (Liao and Tai, 2006).
Employeesʼ ability to learn depends on the capacities they have. According
to Heckman ʻearly learning begets later learningʼ (2000, p. 5). Abilities are
created in various learning situations and these abilities in turn foster further
learning; more able people acquire more skills and more skilled people
become more able. By following Heckmanʼs reasoning it could be
hypothesised that highly educated workers have a greater possibility to
participate in training and development (Oosterbeek, 1998). The more
extensive employeesʼ basic knowledge is, the easier they will learn new
competences and improve their employability. Training history provides a
picture of what activities individual workers have undertaken in the past to
maintain or improve their employability (Bloch and Bates, 1995). It will also
give insights into their capability to undertake new learning and development
to become more employable.
Next to employeesʼ accountability for investments in their own development,
and in line with the all-embracing definition of employability, organisations
need to promote employeesʼ competence development and thus improve their
employability (Thijssen, 2000). Even environments play a crucial role in
motivating and producing educational success (Heckman, 2000). Employeesʼ
learning environments, or learning climates, should provide opportunities to
enlarge their professional expertise by developing new knowledge and
competences. There is increased awareness that much valuable learning
happens on-the-job, in groups, or through conversations (Marsick and
Watkins, 2003). Tasks should be varied and to some degree unpredictable
and employees should be enabled to explore them freely without heavy
pressure to achieve an immediate goal. Employees can develop their
competences and acquire new skills through, for example, job rotation and
guided career development, aimed at further development of their knowledge
and skills (Forrier and Sels, 2003). Job rotation is a – temporary – change of
tasks or jobs within an organisation or between organisations to upgrade
competences of those already employed (Madsen, 1999). Career guidance
from the organisation can encourage employees to undertake activities that
improve their employability.
Supervisor support is another important factor given the added value of
high quality interaction between employees and their supervisors (Verbruggen
et al., 2008). This interaction, or fruitful exchange relationship, is positively
associated with a workerʼs employability (Van der Heijden et al., 2009). But