NVL Older Workers Network Leif Emil Hansen, Roskilde University, DK

1. OLDER WORKERS, AGEING SOCIETY AND LIFELONG LEARNING (EDUWORLD CONFERENCE, PITESTI, NOVEMBER 2012)

2. NVL Older Workers NetworkLeif Emil Hansen, Roskilde University, DK Background: • Discussions in OWN (Older Workers Network), Nordic Council of Ministers Literature: Report and pamphlet Active Learning and Ageing at Work, 2009 • Report Social Partners: out with Early Exit – in with Lifelong Learning and Career Development?, 2011 (both to be found at www.nordvux.net/)

3. The group • Tarja Tikkanen, Norway • Bernhardur Gudmundsson, Iceland • Susanna Paloniemi, Finland • Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret, Finland • Hanne Randle, Sweden • Jon Sandvik, Norway • and myself

4. Initial personal and idiosyncratic remarks and reflections on the topic • The debate is diffuse and stereotyped: are we talking about retirement age and retaining senior workers longer on the labour market? Or are we talking about an active life with qualities for those who have already retired? • Do we want to promote an economic or humanistic perspective on the topic? (employability and competitiveness – or life quality for all?)

5. Are we accepting alienating discourses? • Why do we always see demographic statistics when ageing is discussed? (with new human skills, technology and lean work organization etc. productivity raises significantly; probably even a small amount of young people will in the future be able to produce values enough to provide for themselves and the ’grey gold’ – today less than half amount of workers produce more than double GNP compared to 40 years ago)

6. Do we conceptualize concisely enough? • We talk about older people (workers, learners). What if the one and only thing they have in common is their age? (in reality it is a very heterogenous group; they have many different profiles and characteristica: gender, educational level, health, socio-cultural values and life styles etc.

7. The predominant political discourses are even more silly • Most of the legislation and practices are based in former historical epochs; older people (60+) are seen as by definition weak, poor and helpless (free transport, for instance) • But the concept and symbolic meaning of ageing is changing dramatically in hyper modernity (40% of the pensioners in DK have an annual income above the average…)

8. The SKI generation • In pre-modernity there was nothing like childhood, adolescense (my spelling???) and youth; also there was no 3rd and 4th age • Now the empty nest and post parental period is the dominating aspect of adult biographies (and seems to be of major interest for commercialization – it is a new and potent consumer segment)

9. Reversing cultures • Historical epochs become shorter and shorter • History speeds up (like all of us) • A 60 year old today is probably younger than a 50 year old was 40 years ago (if he belongs to the meritocracy – if he is a low skilled manual worker he is as worn out as he ever was)

10. A different view, set up and Inszenierung? • In my view we need a much more differentiated, sophisticated and dialectical conceptualisation to really grasp the complexity of this topic • If not we are in risk of repeating the same superficial and false understandings over and over again • We probably need help from the older learners and non learners themselves – bottom up processes

11. By the way • Do we know what (informal) ’learning’ is? (I personally do not) • There are probably non participating adults that learn more on an everyday basis than (some of) those participating in adult education • The crucial question is whether curiosity and autonomy is allowed, promoted and recognised in work, communities, families and personal life

12. Ethos of OWNs discussions When it comes to the issue of older workers, we have wanted to: • Confront stigmatising stereotypes • Changing the mindsets about older learners • Identify ambivalences in policies and practices • Advocate for more choices and opportunities in work and learning – by: • Bringing forward the voice and initiative of older workers themselves

13. Common values Employability and opportunities for older workers should be based on Nordic values and traditions: • Principles of welfare state (universal or target group oriented? • Learner-centred adult education • Democracy and bottom up processes • Cooperation and social dialogue (tripartite) • Equality (genders, ethnicities, educational and cultural background etc.)

14. Distinctive Nordic ’patterns’ in adult education • High participation rate • High volume per capita • High public share in financing • High share of public providers • High share of personal interest education BUT: this does not go to the same extent for older workers, especially the low educated. More attention should be drawn to older workers as learners!

15. Conclusion and recommendations 1. Working life and industry The workplace is an important arena for learning. Most of the skills and the knowledge development take place at the workplace. Promoting learning – for older workers as well - is good business. • 2. Training-the-trainers Institutions providing learning opportunities must invest in the competence of the adult trainers in regards to learning and education of and for older workers and their special needs. • 3. Trade unions and social partners need to promote the change of the mindsets of working, learning and ageing by enhancing flexibility and diversity in learning and working in later life.

16. Recommendations (continued) • 4. Older workers themselves must take a more active role in this equation - in particular towards social partners and politicians – asking for support and legislation to promote their special needs to provide more choices. • 5. Media All stakeholders should provide media with good examples and inter-generational discussion on “active ageing” in its various dimensions and meanings. • 6. The Nordic Council should add momentum to the national governments’ work in making LLL a living reality to all, including the seniors. This work has particularly to do with opportunities and partnerships for continuing learning for older workers.