Silver lining - a study of employability and learning trajectories of Late Career Learners

The reality of an ageing Europe has been recognised by the European Union and the challenge of maintaining active participation in the workforce has been one of the focus areas of recent OECD reports. While politicians are concerned about funding pensions, others are interested in the continued active participation of late-career employees (aged 55 to 67). This project has tried to uderstand how learning in the workplace might be one way to improve the situation for older employees and to increase the number of those who continue to make an active contribution to the workforce. We have used multiple methods to shed light on the existing situation and discuss future potential. International data from OECDs PIAAC survey and data from Statistics Norway has been analysed. In order to understand learning over time and question some of the myths about older employees' learing abilities (or lack thereoff), we have carried out several explorative case studies in industry and the public sector. These case studies have provided a better understanding of the preferences of older employees for different types of learning and revealed the importance of informal learning for this group. The project has also found factors which can hinder or promote learning. The statisical analyses together with the casestudies have resulted in 6 scientfic publications and 6 more in progress. We have also prioritised dialog with employers and policy makers working on adult learning, senior policies and competence development. Findings suggest a positive relationship between higher education and retirement age, while age at time of education also influences retirement date. We have several examples where older employees played an important role in the smooth introduction of new technologies, such as ICT systems and robotics, by using their experiential learning. We have also findings which can contribute to a better understanding of the importance, and the limitations, of the term "Life Long Learning" for older employees. Prosjektets web-page: http://www.projectsilverlining.com/

As well as publishing in academic jounals the project has aimed to provide relevant research-based information to employers and policy-makers. We have had a productive cooperation with Kompetanse Norge and contributed to Kompass 2019. We have had workshops with the organisations where we carried out case studies, (public sector and industry) Our contact with the Norwegian "Senter for seniorpolitikk" has proved invaluable, as a communication channel and also challenging us to publish more of our finds from the qualitative studies. There has also been interest from journalists interested in the link between our research and current policy on adult learning and employment. One of the surprises has been finding that some older employees have competence which is particularly valued, and we are currently working on a book on this theme. Another interesting finding has been that older employees prefer different forms of learning and this the theme of a forthcoming publication.

This project addresses the issue of the ageing Norwegian workforce by examining the relationship between education or learning and the active participation of older adults in the work force. Using recent statistical data on employment and various forms of learning in Norway, we will analyse how the ability to remain in employment may be related to lifelong learning and skills among older adults. We will use qualitative methods to carry out in-depth studies of the learning trajectories of older workers in the workplace, adding to our understanding of the roles of informal or non-formal learning at work. Throughout the project, we will involve external stakeholders, such as HR-managers and those influencing policy on older employees, in an ongoing dialogue. We will also disseminate our findings in the form of academic publications. By carrying out both quantitative and qualitative studies, we will seek to identify the forms and trajectories of learning that are most conducive to the continued employment of older adults and explore whether there are gaps or weaknesses in current national policies in this area. Better and more targeted measures addressing late career learners may increase their employability and their motivation to postpone retirement, and thereby contribute to more active aging and reduced public costs for pensions and health care. The project will be carried out by a strong team of Norwegian and international researchers as well a representative from the Norwegian agency of lifelong learning. The researchers have complementary skills making it possible to use multiple methods to address the same questions.