EAEA Annual Conference

1
EAEA Annual Conference Older Learners, Vienna,
2-4 May, 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 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 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!

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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.

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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.