Job Activation 50+
Job Activation 50 is an Leonardo da Vinci Partnership project supported by the EU Life Long Learning Programme aimed towards encouraging the entry of people aged 50 in the Job Market. The project will take place between June 2013-September 2015. The project is important because the EU population is ageing: in fact, according to the statistics, the actual EU working population between 50 and 64 years old is 17.4%, but it will reach the 29.5% by 2060. However, despite the growing size of the 50 population, not all workers of this age group have a job. The EU average employment rate of this age group is 57.5%. As such this project seeks to establish new ways to improve their situation in the labour market. Unemployment of this age group can have devastating social consequences including deterioration of mental health and associated health and social problems
It has been found that the labour market discriminates towards working age people over the age of 50 because, compared to the younger generation, generally they are viewed as having a lower education level, lack of up-to-date professional competences and lower participation in adult lifelong learning activities. However, modern societies must not ignore the working potential of older people, as their human capital should be used to transmit to younger generations professional experience, responsibility and good working habit among other traits and skills.
SOS Malta, with other organizations working on the subject of the employment of people aged 50 from Germany, Poland, Finland and Hungary, form part of this learning project, bringing together different experts and professionals in learning exchange meetings to identify the typical barriers for employment and opportunities for training the beneficiaries of the project in order to avoid the social exclusion that people over 50 years old are facing in the labour market.
The project objectives and strategies are focused on making working conditions better for people aged 50 by sharing knowledge and experience on a number of key steps: Understanding the situation in the several EU countries, including barriers to entry but also potentialities through research, developing new ideas and good practices examples through exchange of knowledge, providing information and key learning in the form of a manual for job centres, employers, trainers etc. These activities will ensure that key stakeholders have tools in hand to encourage the employment of people aged 50 in the labour market. The initiative of ensuring the inclusion of older people in the labour market is both the goal of this project and a necessity of EU countries. For more information see: www.activation50plus.eu
To read the final handbook, please see link below:
Job Activation 50 Handbook