Page 20 - increasing-the-value-of-age-guidance-in-employers-age-management-strategies

Increasing the value of age: guidance in employers’ age management strategies

policies within the framework of the initiative An agenda for new skills and jobs
(European Commission, 2010a).
The adoption of Europe 2020 was followed by the adoption of Council
conclusions on active ageing in June the same year (Council of the European
Union, 2010). In the document, the Council calls on the Member States and the
Commission to make progress on 19 specific points.
The most important actions relevant to active age management are ‘to
encourage companies to introduce age management strategies […]; to raise the
employment rates of older workers by improving working conditions, investing in
life-long learning, and removing employment obstacles including those linked to
discrimination [… ]; to promote access of older persons to education and
information and communication technologies […; and] to develop common
principles for active ageing’ (Council of the European Union, 2010, pp. 6-7).
The Bruges communiqué states that ‘by 2020, European VET systems
should be more attractive, relevant, career-oriented, innovative, accessible and
flexible than in 2010’. Also, European VET ‘should contribute to excellence and
equity in lifelong learning by providing […] easily accessible and high-quality
lifelong information, guidance and counselling services’ (Council of the European
Union; European Commission, 2010, p. 6).
In 2010 and 2012 the EU also paid increased attention to pension reform
(European Commission, 2010c). The white paper An agenda for adequate, safe
and sustainable pensions, stresses the need to reform pension systems and to
raise the labour market participation of women and older workers to ensure that
pensions continue to be both sustainable and adequate (European Commission,
2012c).

1.3. Steeply increasing participation rates

Due to the increasing focus on active ageing, labour market participation has
increased in all Member States over the past 10 years, although several
differences still appear between countries. Some have high labour market
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participation ( ) and employment rates above 55% for people in the age group 55
to 65, as in Denmark, Germany, Cyprus, Finland and in the UK, including; in
others, such as Hungary, Malta and Slovenia, the rate has remained low, at 35%
or lower.

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( ) Eurostat, labour force survey.

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