Age Management Uptake Erasmus Project

Project Title

Age Management Uptake

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Every year Europe gains 2 million over 60-year-olds. At the same time, the birth rate decreases. By 2060 one in three Europeans will be over 65. The ratio of working people to the ‘inactive’ others is shifting from 4 to 1 today to 2 to 1 by 2060. At first glance the situation seems to be hopeless. Current activities promoting Age Management concept in many EU countries are insufficient. In many countries, Age Management evangelist are missing.

The importance of Age Management for economic growth and development is widely recognized as well as its importance for competitiveness of the economy. In addition Age Management concept provides opportunities for individuals to enrich their working careers and increase their personal wealth.

There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence from around the world concerning the methods of Age Management which are most effective in helping people succeed in suitable careers. Many people in adult education, colleges, organisations and NGOs focused on work with 50+ groups have responsibility or contribute to the transition to work, and have little or no training in Age Management.

Age Management and active ageing concept is in line with World Health Organization´s Strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe 2012–2020, the EU initiatives and policies, OECD Recommendation of the Council on Ageing and Employment Policies, and national strategies of project partners (Assumptions of the Seniors Long-Term Policy for Poland – 2014-2020, Ageing Policy in the Czech Republic, National program of active ageing in Slovakia).

The project Age Management Uptake (AMU) aim was to review the evidence, apply scientifically validated methods, create, test, apply and disseminate the Age Management Curriculum (for both formal and non-formal education systems). The curriculum that will enable educators to achieve the relevant and high quality skills and extend and develop their competences to become Age Management Advisors.

Adult learning community together with universities consider 50+ as crucial participants in lifelong learning because their learning is more than gaining of knowledge: when older people are provided with learning opportunities, they are able to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, to actively participate in society and thus to combat negative stereotypes and social exclusion. For this reason and since many adult learning communities and universities are working with senior learners, are deeply committed to active ageing. Therefore the partnership consisted of six partners from 4 countries: associations of adult education institutions, universities, NGOs focused on active ageing.

We aimed to improve Age Management promotion and implementation by extending and developing educators’ competences and by project intellectual outputs:
– Scientific Review What Works in Age Management
– Age Management curriculum
– Course materials for blended learning
– Qualification standard of Age management Advisor
– Accreditation of adult education course in CEE countries
– Guidelines of Age Management Curriculum Implementation

You can find all mentioned intellectual outputs in EN, DE, PL, CZ, SK language versions at: www.agemanagementuptake.eu and also at the learning platform: www.invisiblevawe.eu

Invisiblewave is an edutainment platform built as an interactive learning tool for better understanding of age management as a concept and its implications for a different group of stakeholders. Through quick interactive exercises, users can understand how different age management tools and practises impact lives of various age group. Thanks to step by step progression through the platform, users are allowed to grasp the concept of age management, understand its roots and earn practical take away in form of a re-usable action cards that can be applied in their companies and communities (and help them to apply age management principles in their own context). The platform, built as a responsive web application, has gained mainly HR specialists and trainers attention- they use it effectively when introducing elements of age management into the company.

The platform also serves in the academic environment – the subject Age Management, which we created in the project, has been taught at Comenius University in Bratislava for the second semester.

The project also focused on policy makers and with its outputs it contributes to the creation of a functional ecosystem of age management in individual partner countries. We managed to organize 5 successful international conferences, at which we welcomed leading European experts or representatives of employers’ unions, trade unions, ministries and educational institutions.

The qualification standard of the Age Management Advisor will be included in the National System of Occupations of the Slovak Republic.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203655,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

Asociacia institucii vzdelavania dospelych v Slovenskej republike & Country: SK

Project Partners

• “Edukacyjne Centrum Integracji Miedzypokoleniowej HIPOKAMP”
• UNIVERZITA KOMENSKEHO V BRATISLAVE
• ASOCIACE INSTITUCI VZDELAVANI DOSPELYCH CR OS
• UNIVERZITA KARLOVA
• IL3 Institute for Lifelong Learning