Page 28 - increasing-the-value-of-age-guidance-in-employers-age-management-strategies

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

An organisation age management strategy generally consists of one or more
approaches, which correspond to overarching concepts. These approaches are
then translated into more specific goals with associated activities and methods
which should lead to predefined results. Within this context, guidance activities
are used to implement the selected age management approach. Activities can be
alternatives, building on each other or focusing on different aspects of an
approach.
Guidance will include all activities, designed to help individuals to take
educational, vocational or personal decisions during their working lives,
supporting employees in fulfilling their work assignments irrespective of their age,
allowing them contribute to the organisation’s aims and processes in a significant
way, adjusted to their career stage.

Figure 1. Levels of the conceptual model

Context (EU and national policies)

Organisation
Human resources policy (the general human resources policy of the organisation)
Age management (the aim of the age aspect in the human resources policy)
strategy

Approach (the instrument(s) used to realise the aims of the management strategy)

Guidance activities and methods (the activities used to implement the approach)
+
Non-guidance related activities

Source: Panteia.

The age management strategy, approach and guidance activities all happen
within an organisation and the environment of the organisation (the context, such
as EU and national policies and developments). This results in the following
conceptual model, as presented in Figure 1. The actual situation might not be as
straightforward as this model suggests: it is merely a framework and introduces
the relevant concepts for this study.

2.2.3. Guidance activities in active age management
Guidance defines itself as aid offered, in the form of activities, to an individual to
allow him or her to define himself or herself. Guidance helps in identifying
capacities, competences and interests. With this knowledge, an individual can
make meaningful education, training and occupation decisions for their personal

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