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

CHAPTER 4.

System level approaches on guidance for

active age management

4.1. Introduction

This chapter discusses how national policies and strategies address staying
longer in employment and to what extent guidance is an integrating component.
This includes ageing as a transversal element in policies and strategies linked to
employment, education and training, and social inclusion for older workers.
This chapter examines the four policy priorities laid down by the European
Council resolution on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning
strategies, discussing their degree of development in active ageing policies. The
four priorities are:
(a) development of career management skills adjusted to the challenges of each
career stage;
(b) access to guidance for people of all ages and backgrounds;
(c) assuring the quality of career guidance provision;
(d) improving coordination and cooperation among stakeholders.

Section 4.2 addresses changing national policy perspectives on active
ageing and the national instruments deployed to improve the situation for older
workers and help them overcome challenges.
Sections 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 review how the EU policy priorities for national
guidance systems are addressed by these policies. Section 4.7 draws the main
conclusions from the previous sections.

4.2. Policy perspectives on the role of older workers

4.2.1. Country responses and perspectives
All country reports emphasise the changing perspectives of national governments
on the role of older workers in economy and society. The global tendency reflects
a shift in policy focus from early retirement to extending work life. Three lines of
argument are presented to defend this policy shift: economic, demographic and
social.
Countries stress the economic relevance of diversity in general. A diverse
workforce within organisations will connect more closely to the consumer/client

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