Report 3 3 Step 1 Analysis of rules regulations policies ... 3 3 Step 1 Analysis of... · planning...

Activity 3.3 Analysis of rules, regulations, policies and strategies at national and regional level in the fields of employment, retirement, education and training, career planning

Institute for European Initiatives in cooperation with

Gdansk University of Technology Editor: PhD Anita Richert-Kazimierska

Analysis of rules, regulations, policies and strategies at national and regional level in the fields of employment, retirement, education and training, career planning

www.best-agers-project.eu

Activity 3.3 Analysis of rules, regulations, policies and strategies at national and regional level in the fields of employment,

retirement, education and training, career planning

Editor: PhD Anita Richert-Kazimierska Institute for European Initiatives

in cooperation with Gdansk University of Technology

This report has been produced within Work Package 3 of the EU-funded project Best Agers. The project is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013

More information about the project and its results is available at:


All rights reserved.

Publication Date: 05.04.2011

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1. Instruments of shaping professional activity of older people in the European Union ....... 3

1.1. Background and justification of intervention union level ................................................ 3

1.2. Legal bases of policy for stimulating professional activity of older people ................... 5

1.3. Financing union policy for stimulating professional activity of older people .............. 11

1.4. Instruments of introducing union policy for stimulating professional activity of older people ................................................................................................................................ 12

1.5. Summary ............................................................................................................................ 13

2. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in Poland .............................. 15

2.1. Retirement system in Poland ............................................................................................ 15

2.2. Programmes for country development and the issue of older people ......................... 18

2.3. Dedicated programmes .................................................................................................... 31

2.4. Summary ............................................................................................................................ 32

3. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in chosen European Union Member States ............................................................................................................................... 34

3.1. Current Swedish system ................................................................................................... 34

3.2. Current Lithuanian system ............................................................................................... 36

4. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in regional scale .................. 38

4.1. Experience of Pomeranian Voivodeship .......................................................................... 38

4.2. Experience of chosen NUTS III type regions of partner countries of Best Agers project . 44

4.2.1. Norbotten, Sweden ..................................................................................................... 44

4.2.2. Regions of NUTS III type from Lithuania ................................................................... 46

Final Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 47


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Introduction

Systematic increase of the number of people in immobile and post-productive age in the whole population of European Union inhabitants, as well as caused by it, growth in the demographic dependency ratio, force institutions of the Union and member state governments to undertake initiatives in order to slow down these unfavourable tendencies and soften their social-economic effects. Demographic changes registered from few decades and predicted for those to come, causing ageing of the society, mean for the economy i.a.: shrinking human resources, product-service reorientation of consumption goods market or eventually, systematic reduction of tax income to the budget with simultaneous increase in social expenditures for healthcare, retirements and social services. In the long run, without adequate actions slowing those tendencies, exists a risk of social states going bankrupt. The mentioned actions, undertaken on the level of European Community and each Member State in the same time, should be necessarily aimed at:

slowing down the process of shrinking human resources by lengthening time of

professional activity of people already on the labour market, i.a. by increasing retirement

age limit, reducing pensions for people using the system of sooner retirements etc.,

countering all forms of age discrimination and promoting employment of older people

and their activity in public life,

including excluded up to now older people in structures of labour market and public life

by increasing their abilities and qualifications for equal participation i.a. by

complementary courses, making employment forms more flexible etc.,

supporting development of economic system based on silver economy,

stopping negative demographic trends by investing in the fields of pro-family and

educational policies.

The objective of the report is analysis of policy for lengthening time of professional activity of people over 55, implemented by the European Union and chosen member states. On the basis of obtained results – defining rating of effectiveness of distinct elements. Moreover, the aim of the elaboration is preparing recommendation, which of the actions for stimulating professional activity of older people, undertaken by governments of analysed states and local governments on the regional level, may provide with an example of good practices, should be developed and subjected to diffusion. Report is divided into four parts. In the first one, detailed analysis of European Union documents shaping community’s non-discrimination, social care, education access and labour market policies, including stimulating professional activity of the older people, was included. Chosen articles from primary as well as derivative laws were recanted Second part is an overview of Polish policy for increase in employment and lengthening time of professional activity of people over 55. It is focused on dedicated government documents and programmes of planned reforms that are an answer to polish obligations resulting from implementation of Lisbon Strategy premises. The third part includes overview of experience of other European Union member states regarding policy for stimulating older people’s activity in public, mainly professional, life. Data presented in this part was provided by project partners. Report author’s role in this part


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was limited to editing received text. Original texts of partial reports provided by project partners are attached to the report. Fourth part consists of overview of policies aimed at activating people over 55 realised on regional level. Pomeranian voivodeship was depicted in the report as an example of a Polish region. Project partners also provided descriptions of policies realised in their home regions. They were adequately edited and included in the text. The report ends with conclusions and recommendations. The latter regards substantial range of policy for stimulating professional activity of people over 55, but also methodical view, institutional commitment and the issue of financing.


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1. Instruments of shaping professional activity of older people in the European Union

1.1. Background and justification of intervention union level

Progressive demographic changes that appear in European Union member countries, including increasing population age ratio1, force to undertake actions on community’s level to limit their economic and societal effects. One of the fields in the sphere of activity is the policy of countering social exclusion of older people and increasing their professional activity. According to Eurostat statistics from 20082 in EU27 percentage of people over 50 in the whole population equalled to 35,7%, and the age dependency ratio in 2001 to 2008 increased from the level of 23,5% to 25,4%. Predictions of society structure changes for EU27 countries for next decades are not favourable. It’s predicted that as a result of low birth rate, lengthening average life expectancy and average further lifespan3 number of people in immobile and post-productive age will systematically increase.

Table 1. Changes of population, including older people, in EU27 between 2000-2030

Specification 2000 2005 2008 2030 Total population [k] 480 808,3 490 103,3 493 324,9 500 738,2 Growth of population [yearly in %] + 0,26 + 0,43 … - 0,042 „Third age” population (people over 65) [as % of the total population]

15,74 16,70 17,18 24,39

Source: author’s own elaboration according to: http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=CSP2010 (10/10/2010)

Analyses considering current demographic changes and their society-economic consequences for community’s economy are carried out in European Union from the beginning of the nineties of XX century. One of the first community’s documents, encouraging vigilant watch over the process of aging of European society and undertaking certain interventions because of it, was Communication on the older4 from 1990. It included propositions of actions, such as:

development of demographic research on community level and exchange of knowledge

on this matter between member states,

organising meetings of various environments on all levels to exchange results of carried

out demographic researches and finding solutions to identified problems,

creating a network allowing to exchange experience of distinct member states and their

labour market institutions, 1 According to UN norms, societies, in which percentage of people over 65 is higher than 12% in that population, are treated as old societies, and those in which this percentage is higher than 15% - as very old. 2 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/main_tables (10/10/2010). 3 Average further lifespan is a value informing about length of old age period, i.e. lifespan after reaching assumed limit of an old age – 60 years. According to: J. Kocemba, T. Knurowski, Perspektywy osób starszych w Unii Europejskiej [Perspectives of older people in the European Union], http://www.pson.org.pl/pl/perspektywy/doc%5Ckoc1.doc (10/10/2010). 4 Communication on the older. Proposal for the Council decision on Community actions for the older. COM (90) 80 final, Brussels, 23 April 1990.


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declaring year 1993 as European year of older people and solidarity between

generations.

Age structure in European Union and its predictions for next years, causes of aging of European society and its social-economic effects, were all described in the first of its kind, complex report of European Commission in 19945. In 1999 European Commission published Towards a Europe for all ages – promoting prosperity and intergenerational solidarity6 document. European Commission defined aging of Union’s society as one of the key social-economic problems, with which member states will have to deal in years to come. The document – apart from demographic diagnosis – included guidelines regarding adaptation labour market policy and practices used in this field, taking aging of the society into account. The document defined general frames, detailed by following decisions and resolutions of European institutions, for community’s labour market, social, healthcare, social insurance, antidiscrimination and partly educational policies. Currently, demographic changes, including situation of older people in member states of European Union, are monitored by few subject. In their power lies also initiating solutions for problems appearing in this sphere. Those include i.a.:

The Economic Policy Committee’s Working Group on Ageing Populations and

Sustainability (EPC’s AWG), which main aim is estimation of long-term sustainability of

public finance and economic consequences of ageing populations of the EU Member

States. The subject cooperates with The European Commission's Directorate General for

Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) – which main aim is vigil over the state of

Union’s finances. One of the reports prepared by DG ECFIN in cooperation with EPC’s

AWG is The 2009 Aging Report – Economic and budgetary projections for the EU27

Member States (2008-2060).

The European Commission's Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and

Inclusion – in power of which intervention lies social issues and labour market, including

aspect of problems of older people professional activity and their active participation in

public life. One of documents, in which The European Commission's Directorate General

for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion presented priorities of stimulating

professional activity of older people in member states is Longer working lives trough

pension reforms, published in September 2008.

Eurostat, which main objective is providing statistical regarding social, economic and

ecologic sphere data for European Union institutions and member states. The main

activity of the Eurostat is carrying out statistical research on various territorial setups and

their promotion. Eurostat carries out constant watch and analysis of the process of

European society aging and social-economic changes associated with it. Among Eurostat

publications regarding this aspect of problems may be quoted: Regional population

ageing of the EU at different speeds up to 20257 or Active ageing statistics8. What’s

5 The demographic situation of the European Union. Report 1994. COM (94) 595 final, Brussels, 13 December 1994. 6 Towards a Europe for all ages – promoting prosperity and intergenerational solidarity. Communication from the Commission. COM(1999)221 final, Brussels, 21 May 1999. 7 Regional population ageing of the EU AT different speeds up to 2025, Statistics in focus, Theme 1-4/1999. 8 Active ageing statistics, 18th CEIES Seminar, EU Commission, Eurostat, Hague 2002.


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more, Eurostat promotes taking demographic changes into account in the guidelines of

social-economic policies. The last conference - Statistics for policymaking: Europe

2020 from March 20119 may be an example of such activity.

OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development focuses on promoting

policies aimed at achieving maximal possible economic growth and development of

global market. One of the issues, which are investigated more closely by OECD in recent

years, is the process of aging of the society and its effects on global economy. Apart

from collecting and publishing statistical data, OECD also prepares expert’s reports and

recommendations. Those include titles such as: Ageing and employment policies. Live

longer, work longer10 and Policies for an ageing society: recent measures and areas

for further reform11.

SHARE – Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe12 – is international research

platform collecting information and diagnosing health, social-economic life status and

family bonds of people over 50. It responds to a Communications by the European

Commission calling to „examine the possibility of establishing, in co-operation with

Member States, a European Longitudinal Ageing Survey”.

1.2. Legal bases of policy for stimulating professional activity of older people

Activity of European Union in the field of stimulating professional activity of older people concentrates mostly on:

defining common strategy frames for member states,

formulating guidelines for distinct countries,

financing initiatives directed at realisation of activation programme’s priority objectives

(mainly from funds of European Social Fund).

Essentially it includes both of the completely different, yet complementary issues. First – concerns countering discrimination in public and professional life because of age. The other one – stimulating professional activity of people in immobile age and promotion of lengthening time of their activity on labour market.

Table 2. Chosen sources of guidelines of Union’s policy for countering age discrimination and stimulating professional activity of older people

Chosen documents defining Union’s guidelines concerning policy of countering age

discrimination

Chosen documents defining Union’s guidelines concerning stimulating professional activity of

people in immobile age

9 Conference on Statistics for policymaking: Europe 2020, http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics_policymaking_europe_2020/introduction (05/02/2011) 10 Ageing and employment policies. Livelonger, work longer, OECD, 2006. 11 B. Casey, H. Oxley, E. Whitehouse, P. Antonin, R. Duval, W. Leibfritz, Policies for an ageing society: recent measures and areas for further reform, ECO/WKP(2003)23, OECD 2003. 12 http://www.share-project.org (20/12/2010)


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Treaty of Amsterdam, changing Treaty of European Union, Treaties establishing European Communities and some other acts from 2 October 1997 (EU 97/C 340)

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European Employment Strategy and Council’s Decision on the issue of guidelines of employment policies of Member States, detailing it, (2003/578/EC) from 22 July 2003 2003r. (EU 2003/ L 197/13)

Treaty of Lisbon from 13 December 2007, version consolidated of Treaty on the functioning of the European Union from 30 March 2010 (EU 2010/C 83)

Lisbon Strategy and Common activity for economic growth and employment. New beginning of Lisbon Strategy. Announcement for spring meeting of European Council from 2 February 2005 (COM 2005/24)

European Social Charter from 18 October 1961 changed by Protocol modifying European Social Charter from 21 October 1991 (99, Nr 8, pos. 67)

Mobility, an instrument for more and better jobs; European task plan for mobility in employment (2007-2010). Announcement of Commission to Council, European Parliament, European Economic and Social Committee and Region Committee from 6 December 2007 (COM 2007/773)

Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU 2007/C 303/1)

Strategic Guidelines of the Community– Council’s Decision from 6 October 2006 considering strategic guidelines of the Community for coherency (EU 2006/ L 291/11)

Directive establishing general frame conditions of equal treatment in the field of equal employment and labour from 27 November 2000 (EU 2000/ L 303)

Europe 2020. Strategy for intelligent and sustainable development favourable for social inclusion . Announcement of the Commission from 3 March 2010 (COM 2010/2020)

Source: Author’s own elaboration In the following part of the report analysis of the European Union’s policy considering promotion of older people participation in public life will be focused on the issues of professional and economic activity of people in immobile and post-productive age. This aspect of problems is not directly the matter of considerations in acts of the European Union’s primary laws. It is however, one of the priority components of strategic social-economic programmes for development of the European Union. In European Employment Strategy one of the main objectives accepted for realisation until 2010 is reaching among older workers, i.e. between 55 and 64, percentage of employment on the level of 50%13. Achieving this objective should be supported by actions for so-called active aging.. Those include inter alia:14

supporting work conditions encouraging keeping jobs, including: availability of continual

education, recognising particular importance job hygiene and safety, modern and flexible

forms of employment organisation,

13 Objective defined on the meeting of the Council in Stockholm in March 2001 14 Decision of the Council concerning guidelines of employment policies of the Member States (2003/578/EC) from 22 July 2003 ( UE 2003/ L 197/13), p. 335.


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elimination of means encouraging sooner leaving of labour market, especially by a

reform of sooner retirement systems,

providing profitability of staying active on the labour market,

supporting entrepreneurs employing older people.

Objectives formulated on the meeting of the Council in March 2002 in Barcelona are one of the reinforcements of the European Employment Strategy assumptions. In the sphere of older people employment it was ascertained that in all member states necessary are activities for:15

limiting possibilities of employees’ sooner retirement and introducing programmes of

sooner retirement by companies,

increasing possibility of employees staying on labour market by, for example, creating

flexible and gradual forms of retiring and guaranteeing availability of continual

education,

increasing average age, in which European Union inhabitants decide to finally leave

labour market, by 5 years until 2010.

Renewed Lisbon Strategy concerns stimulating professional activity of older people rather generally:

the foreword includes sentence that Europe needs „ vision of society, which is able to

integrate both older and the young, especially to support work force development, where

current dynamics casts a shadow either on long-term economic growth and social

coherency” 16,

in the interpretation of „Creating more and better jobs” objective it is taken into

consideration that the member states and social partners should increase their efforts for

increasing level of employment „especially by introducing active employment policies,

which would help people to find jobs and provide stimulation discouraging them from

resigning from jobs, creating policies of active aging, which would discourage from

sooner retiring and by modernisation of social insurance systems, so that they can still

provide safety necessary for people to deal with changes ”17.

Renewed Lisbon Strategy indicates European Employment Strategy as a document detailing methods and range of actions in the field of labour market. This means that realisation of assumptions and guidelines of the latter, determines realisation of the main objective of Renewed Lisbon Strategy - – Creating more and better jobs, and its particular objectives:

involving more people in professional activity and modernisation of social insurance

systems,

increasing adaptability of employees and companies and flexibility of labour markets,

15 Conclusions of the Presidency from the meeting of European Council in Barcelona 15-16 March 2002, http://libr.sejm.gov.pl/oide/dokumenty/konkluzje/barcelona200203.pdf (10/10/2010) 16 Common activities for economic growth and employment. New beginning of Lisbon Strategy. Announcement for the spring meeting of the European Council from 2 February 2005. (COM 2005/24), p. 4 17 Ibidem, p. 10


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increasing investments in human resources by better education and skill-achieving

systems.

In the announcement of the Commission Mobility, instrument for more and better jobs: European task plan for mobility in employment 2007-2010 presented problems and propositions of their solutions focus on professional mobility of Union’s member state employees: in the aspect of geography and changing job. In the document, mobility in employment is treated as basic instrument for mitigating social and economic effects of European society aging. This indicates necessity of undertaking a number of actions encouraging mobility, including older people. In 2006, only 2% of citizens in productive age from 27 member states of the European Union, lived and worked in different member country. Tendency for professional mobility (in both of the main aspects) increases. However, this almost absolutely considers young people. Older people have low tendency to change jobs, in the meaning of its kind and work place. Commission proposes to improve administration practices and administrative cooperation between various institutions and member states to increase tendency and readiness for mobility. Mainly in the sphere of information exchange and standardisation of social insurance systems. Possibility to move rights for additional pensions would be a limitation for obstacles for older people mobility. Information and advice in the field of social insurance in Union member states should be provided by experts working in TRESS18 network. What’s more, within activities of EURES19 network, actions for following objectives are going to be intensified:

informing about conditions and requirements on European labour market, including

older people,

professional advice,

reporting about situation of employees on labour market, including older employees.

In the main programme document of coherency policy in the period of 2007-2013, Decision of the Council regarding Strategic Guidelines of the Community for Coherency, aspect of problems considering stimulating professional activity of older people is also present. Firstly, in substantial description of one of the guidelines, secondly – in essential recommendations for realising objectives of coherency policy. Third guideline of the programme considers increasing quantity and quality of jobs. It is meant to be achieved by:

attracting more people on the labour market and lengthening their professional activity

as well as modernising social insurance systems,

increasing adaptability of the employees and companies and flexibility of labour markets,

increasing investments in human resources by better education and skill-achieving

systems.

Older people were indicated as target group of activities in all those fields. Firstly, introduction of employment policies directed at reaching full employment and usage of all available, traditionally marginalised human resources. This mean i.a. changes in the structures and methods of employment service activity and their offers. It is expected as a

18 http://www.tress-network.org (10/10/2010) 19 http://www.eures.praca.gov.pl (10/10/2010)


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effective reaction for radical process of economic and social restructurisation and the process of society aging. Secondly, promotion of attitude to work concerning life cycle should support stimulating professional activity of older people. Moreover, it is meant to prevent imbalance between supply and demand for work on labour market from appearing, as well as disproportions between excess and deficit jobs20. Attitude towards work taking life cycle into account softens the effect of so-called generation gap and in this way supports sustainability of organisation development process. With people in immobile age and possibilities of lengthening their professional activity in mind, there are also recommendations concerning increasing of flexibility linked to employment safety. Activity for development of strategy and systems of life-long education, which would provide qualifications needed to adapt to conditions of the economy based on knowledge, especially for employees of low qualifications or in older age, should be a complement for them. Realisation of all guidelines included in the document should be carried out with all four fundamental principles in mind. One of them directly concerns older people. It guarantees that any activity for social and economic development will be carried out maintaining fully equality in availability of participation in them or their effects. Member states are obliged to prevent any discrimination in this field, including age discrimination. Detailed guidelines for stimulating professional activity of older people in European Union were prepared by European Economic and Social Committee in its Opinion21 from March 2009. They are expected to find their application in following acts of Community’s law and economic and social programmes created on Union and member state levels. Their main recommendations include:

obliging governments of member states and regional governments to create national and

regional situation reports,

collecting and diffusion of examples of reliable solutions introduced in member states,

popularising new view of an old age and model of „active aging”,

development of services beneficial for general public, infrastructure, availability of

products and services, financing, housing, healthcare, organisation of the final stage of

life, participation in life of the community,

establishing groups of experts for mature age by European Commission,

creating European age problems research centre,

development of demographic fund,

including new priorities in „Lifelong learning” programme.

In March 2010 procedure of introducing new economic and social programme for development of European Union: Europe 2020. Strategy for intelligent and sustainable growth favourable for social inclusion has begun. In the merits and methods, in the 20 Deficit jobs – jobs, for which demand on the labour market is greater than the number of people seeking jobs in those professions. Excess jobs – jobs, for which demand on the labour market is lesser than the number of people seeking job in those professions.

21 Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee from 31 March 2009r. considering taking older people into consideration (EU 2007/C 77/26).


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context of older people aspect of problems, this document corresponds with recommendations included in the Opinion of European Economic and Social Committee considering taking problems of the older people into account. Aspect of problems considering professional activity of older people appears in the document firstly as justification of changes in previous development programmes, secondly – as a field of required interventions in the coming years. Among other weak points of Europe, in the document were mentioned such as:

employment-to-population ratio in Europe – averagely 69% for people between 20-64,

and among older people (between 55 and 64 years) only 46%. In comparison in United

States and Japan employment-to-population ratio among older people equals to 62%;

faster than expected aging of the society – number of people more than 60 years old in

2010 increases in 2 times faster pace than before 2007, i.e. about 2 million a year,

previously it was about 1 million a year. Increase in the number of pensioners and rapid

reduction of professionally active people means larger burden on public finance sector

and social healthcare systems.

Realisation of assumptions included in the programme is meant to stop negative tendencies and lead European Union to a way of social and economic development. Simultaneous actions on each of three fields are expected:

intelligent development,

sustainable growth,

development favourable for social inclusion.

Plans considering older people directly were included in the chapter regarding development favourable for social inclusion, that is based on encouraging economy featuring high employment and providing economic, social and territorial coherency. A strategic objective on this field is, among others, increase of employment-to-population ratio of people between 20 and 64 to the level of 75%, but also by increasing the number to employed older people. Actions meant for realisation of objective formulated this way are going to include i.a.:

introducing flexible model of labour market and social security (flexicurity), including

adaptation of law frames according to the principles of „intelligent regulations”, to

changing work organisation models and new health and safety hazards in workplaces,

enabling gaining new skills in order to adapt to new conditions and for the sake of

possible changes in professional career,

direct support of health and activity of older people,

monitoring effectiveness of tax and service systems, so that their activity would be

profitable.


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1.3. Financing union policy for stimulating professional activity of older people

European Social Fund (ESF)22 is an instrument financing European policy for stimulating professional activity of older people. The basic field of EFS interventions is supporting social and economic coherency within the territory of European Union by increasing employment and work possibilities. What’s more, it is the main financing instrument in realisation of European Employment Strategy guidelines.

Table 3. European Social Fund as instrument of financing activities stimulating professional activity of older people.

Fields of intervention Types of activities Ways to influence stimulation of

professional activity of older people

Increasing adaptation capabilities of employees, companies and entrepreneurs in order to more accurately predict economic changes and manage them

Lifelong learning, including professional practices, trainings, development of qualifications and competences, promoting enterprise, increasing usage of informatics technology in education

growth of qualifications and competences needed on labour market

essential financing and organisational support in the process of creating one’s own economic activity

facilitated access to new knowledge (e.g. e-education)

Promotion of innovative and more efficient forms of work organisation

possibility of fitting place and time of work to individual needs of an older employee (e-work, part-time work etc.)

Increasing availability of employment, encouraging activity in older age and longer professional activity, increasing participation in labour market

Modernisation of labour market institutions

adapting offers and ways of labour market institution’s activity to the needs of older people

Introduction of active and prevention activities allowing to identify needs in individual task plans

individually chosen trainings

support for creating private enterprises, including social cooperatives

Increase of access to employment and professional career among women

no direct influence

Increase of migrant’s participation in employment and their social integration

no direct influence

Increasing social integration of people in unfavourable situation and fighting any forms of discrimination on labour market

Supporting come backs to labour market

access to education and professional training and mentoring mainly for older people who were dropped out of education system or were professionally inactive for a

22 Decree (EC) nr 1081/2006 of European Parliament and Council from 5 July 2006 regarding European Social Fund (EU 2006/L 2010)


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longer time because of taking care of children or handicapped people etc.

Increasing consciousness of diversity in workplace and promoting local initiatives for employment

social campaigns directed at older people, increasing their self-esteem and consciousness of the right of active participation in public life despite old age

social campaigns directed at entrepreneurs promoting values introduced to companies by older people, breaking stereotypes regarding older people

Reinforcing human resources

Reform of educational and training systems, including professional staff development

no direct influence

Creating networks including higher education facilities, research and technological centres and companies

no direct influence

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to Decree (EC) nr 1081/2006 of European Parliament and Council from 5 July 2006 regarding European Social Fund (EU 2006/L 2010)

1.4. Instruments of introducing union policy for stimulating professional activity of older people

Other instrument of Union’s policy supporting labour market and indirectly stimulating professional activity of older people is PROGRESS23 Programme. It is a programme for employment and social solidarity. It disposes budget of 743,25 million Euro to be used in the period of 2007-2013. The programme replaces four others, finished in 2006, for countering discrimination, promoting equality of men and women, means for employment and fighting with social exclusion. Programme is divided into 5 sections:

employment,

social security and society integration,

work conditions,

diversity and fight with discrimination,

sex equality.

People in immobile age are indicated in all mentioned sections as final beneficents of projects realised as a result of them. Following enterprises may receive financing:

analytic – collecting and elaborating statistical data regarding situation of labour market,

creating on their basis studies and expert’s reports, opinions and recommendations,

promoting new aspect of methods by various authorised institutions in spheres of

employment and society integration

23 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=327&langId=pl (2/11/2010)


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informative – building social consciousness and promoting general Union’s principles

considering employment and society integration,

regarding mutual learning – works on the exchange of results of carried out researches

and realised projects, promotion and spread of so-called good practices,

supporting main subjects – allowing professionalization of employment services and

employees of institutions involved in society integration processes, including non-

governmental organisations, building interdisciplinary work groups, institutional network

cooperation on European and country level.

What’s more, currently in European Union, apart from Best Agers project realised as a part of Baltic Sea Region Programme, are realised many other projects, in which older people are the target group and increase of their activity in public life and labour market is basic objective. To projects of this kind belongs i.a.:

CIB – Cities in balance. Active cities for all ages (http://www.cib-online.eu), realised as

a part of Interreg IVB North-West Europe Programme,

BCLM – Baltic Sea Labour Network (http://www.bslabour.net/), realised as a part of

Baltic Sea Region Programme,

ICT for Health (http://www.ictforhealth.net/), realised as a part of Baltic Sea Region

Programme,

O4O – Older People for Older People (http://www.o4os.eu/), realised as a part

Northern Periphery Programme,

Grundtvig in Lifelong Learning Programme – LLP 2007-2013 (http://grundtvig.org.pl)

1.5. Summary

European Union is conscious of inevitability of current demographic changes and social and economic changes caused by them. Because of it, in documents programming sector policies as well as well as in horizontal coherency policy appear references to aspect of problems of older people activity in public life. It is European Union’s role to increase consciousness of the problem, its scald and consequences for the Union as a whole, and each member state separately, and to encourage governments of those countries to undertake certain actions. European Union’s instruments on this field are directives and recommendations formulated to and for distinct member states and structural funds, thanks to which exists of possibility of financing properly directed projects. What’s increasingly often heard in European Union, is the development of the silver economy – economic system directed at using potential of older people and taking their needs into account. It brings about among others:

modification of educational models with an expansion of educational system for adults,

development of age management conception and its practice in companies,

increase of popularity of products and services for older people, both traditional ones

(e.g. nursing and caring services) and modern ones (including e-health groups, for

example remote, electronic health and treatment monitoring),


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creating new subjects, participants of the market (companies, foundations, cooperatives

etc.), which activity would be directed mostly at satisfying demands of older people and

as a result, creating new workplaces,

new products on financial market, e.g. generation credits, reverse mortgages etc.,

changes in the way of perceiving older people and their role in public life.


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2. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in Poland

2.1. Retirement system in Poland

Governmental policy for stimulating professional activity of older people is systematic, multidisciplinary activity in order to save the economy from negative consequences of society aging and increasing demographic dependency ratio. This includes three main spheres:

activity in the field of retirement-pension and social security system reforms,

fight with age discrimination and promotion of older people employment,

activity for increasing older people work abilities.

Professional activity of older people is directly linked to the conditions of retirement-pension system functioning in the country. In Poland, opportunities to use such system and the system of social security are the main causes of professional passiveness in population for 15 or more years.

Table 4. Chosen causes of professional passiveness in Poland and in Pomeranian voivodeship – state for the end of III quarter of 2009

Chosen causes of professional passiveness

% of professionally passive in Poland

% of professionally passive in Pomeranian voivodeship

Discouragement from job seeking 5,4 1,3 Family causes linked to the household keeping

21,7 8,2

Illness, handicap 22,8 16,2 Education, gaining qualifications 25,5 21,9 Retirement 19,6 42,1 Source: M. Nowicki (red.), Pomorskie Obserwatorium Rynku Pracy. Raport VIII 2010 wersja rozszerzona (Pomeranian Observatory of the Labour Market, Report VIII 2010 extended edition), Institute of Labour Market Research, Gdansk, 2010, p. 36.

Maintaining professional activity among older people can be achieved by reforms of retirement-pension and social security systems, introducing regulations in order to:

reduce generosity of the system, i.e. reducing profitability and replacement ratio24,

set higher retirement age limit allowing to receive pension,

limit possibilities of receiving both salaries from professional work and retirement

pension.

Among solutions reforming retirement systems proposed by OECD member state governments were used most often:

24 Replacement ratio net is a relation between pension gained as a result of rights to retirement and an average salary received before retiring. In Poland this factor is equal to circa 70% and is similar to the level in other OECD member states. Source: M. Bukowski, P. Lewandowski, J. Zawistowski, Struktura i poziom wydatków i dochodów sektora finansów publicznych a sytuacja na rynku pracy. Doświadczenia międzynarodowe i wnioski dla Polski (Structure and level of expenditures and income of public finance sector and the situation on labour market. International experiences and conclusions for Poland). Department of Macroeconomic and Structural Analyses, National Bank of Poland, Warsaw 2005, p. 16-23


16


simplification of retirement-pension system by reducing of the number of people and

professional groups allowed to benefit from sooner retirements, as well as making

access to annuities more difficult,

increase of retirement age limit and/or equalising women and men retirement age limit,

encourages in form of higher pensions for longer work,

lower pensions for people benefitting from sooner retirements.

Illustration 1. Ways to limit encouragements for sooner professional deactivation regarding retirement systems

Source: Live Longer, Work Longer, Ageing and Employment Policies, OECD, 2006, p. 87.

Poland as a member state of European Union obliged to carry out radical reforms in retirement-pension system in National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy25. In Implementation Document26 in the field of activities for optimisation of access to services leading to sooner deactivation of employees an employment ratio of people between 55 and 64 in 2008 was assumed at the level of 31%.

Table 5. Indicators of professional activity in the group of 55-64 year old people as an effect of realisation of the National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008

Indicators 2004 2008 Employment ratio of people between 55 - 64 (%) 28,0 31,0 including:

21,0

22,0

25 National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers on 27 December 2005. http://www.mg.gov.pl/NR/rdonlyres/41F62029-CD64-40A6-B619-6F07202A43D9/49482/KPR.pdf (01/10/2010) 26 Implementation Document for the National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers on 15 October 2006. Attachment to National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy accepted by the Council of Ministers on 27 December 2005. http://www.mg.gov.pl/NR/rdonlyres/EC69A72E-E309-4D42-94D9-13AF6FE59B0C/29093/Dokument_Implementacyjny_KPR1.pdf (01/10/2010)


17


women

men

36,0 40,0

Average year of ending professional activity (years) 57,7 60,0 including:

women

men

55,8 60,0

58,0 62,0

Source: Implementation Document for the National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers on 15 October 2006. Attachment to National Reform Programme for years 2005-2008 for realising Lisbon Strategy accepted by the Council of Ministers on 27 December 2005. http://www.mg.gov.pl/NR/rdonlyres/EC69A72E-E309-4D42-94D9-13AF6FE59B0C/29093/Dokument_Implementacyjny_KPR1.pdf (01/10/2010) Schedule of activities carried out in order to achieve mentioned objectives included i.a.:

preparing programme of tax encouragements, promoting creation of individual

retirement accounts (IKE),

introducing system of gradual pensions (from finishing professional work until reaching

retirement age limit) for people working in special conditions or in a specific aspect,

making retirement age limit more flexible.

Current law order of Polish retirement system is defined by:

Act from 17 December 1998 about retirements and pensions from Social Insurance Fund

(2009, Nr 153, pos. 1227 – unified text),

Act from 19 December 2008 about bridging pensions (Dz.U.2008, Nr 237, pos. 1656

with further changes),

Act from 21 November 2008 about capital pensions (2008, Nr 228, pos. 1507),

Decree of Minister of Labour and Social Policy from 9 July 2010 changing decree

regarding detailed principles of evaluating bases of premium value for old-age and other

pension insurance (Dz.U.2010, Nr 127, pos. 860).

Table 6. Formal retirement age and gaining rights for retiring in Polish retirement system

Category General characteristics

Statutory retirement age

For people born after 31/12/1948:

women 60 lat

men 65 lat

For people born before 1/01/1949:

women 60 lat

men 65 lat

premium and non-premium period of at least 20 years for women and 25 years for men

Possibility of sooner retirement

For people born after 31/12/1948:

none

For people born before 1/01/1949:


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women – after reaching 55 years, if she has at least 30- year premium and non-premium period

men – after reaching 60 years, if he has at least 35- year premium and non-premium period

Rights for sooner retirement for people born for people born before 1/01/1949, employed in a specific aspect

employees of state offices and organs of state control,

local government employees,

academic teachers,

workers carrying out creative or artistic activity,

journalists,

teachers and tutors,

uniformed services,

people employed in mining,

railway workers

Bridging retirements and compensations for people born after 31/12/1948

time of work in special conditions or in specific aspect equal to at least 15 years (list of works in special conditions or in a specific aspect may be find in an attachment to the act),

age of at least 55 years for women and at least 60 years for men

Source: Author’s own elaboration.

Keeping the reform from 1999 in mind, retirement system is based on three pillars. The first consists of Social Insurance Fund administrated by Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), II pillar – open retirement funds (OFE), III pillar – individual insurances, such as: Individual Retirement Accounts (IKE). Pillars I and II are obligatory, III pillar is voluntary. In the beginning of 2011 a discussion and legislative works on reform of current solutions of existing retirement system has been started in Poland. As for the moment of creating this report, neither final decision nor conception of the new system has been formulated.

2.2. Programmes for country development and the issue of older people

Current demographic changes and their consequences for the process of Polish economic growth find their references in national programme documents, including i.a.:

Strategic Governing Plan27,

Report on intellectual capital of Poland28,

Poland 2030 – development challenges29. Future starts today,

National Reform Programme for years 2008-2011 for realisation of the Lisbon Strategy30

27 Strategic Governing Plan, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Warsaw, February 2008, http://www.poprzedniastrona.premier.gov.pl/s.php?id=1772 (02/02/2011). 28 Report on intellectual capital of Poland, Team of strategic advisors of the Prime Minister, Warsaw 2008.

29 M. Boni (red.): Poland 2030 – development challenges, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Warsaw 2009. 30 National Reform Programme for years 2008-2011 for realisation of the Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers on 18 November 2008,http://www.mg.gov.pl/Gospodarka/Krajowy+Program+Reform/Krajowy+Program+Reform


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Country Development Strategy 2007-201531 and strategies associated with it,

National Employment Strategy for years 2007-2013 and National Plan of Activities for

Employment for years 2009-2011,

Human Resources Operational Programme 2007-2013.

The first governmental document of Donald Tusk team presenting conception of country development policy was Strategic Governing Plan32. The document was presented by the Prime Minister in February 2008 and on one side it consisted of summary of the first 100 days of work of the government, and on the other – described its directions for next 3000 days. This document refers to current demographic changes in Poland, including tendency of society aging and necessary activities to limit their economic and social consequences. Firstly, it was stated in the document, that higher professional activity and work of 50+ generations determines macroeconomic stability and has a significant influence on the level of welfare. Secondly, finishing retirement reform and appreciation of senior generation by i.a. corrections of healthcare system were announced. Report on intellectual capital of Poland is a so-called green paper, which value should be took into account on each level of the process of programming development policy. Report presents diagnosis of intellectual capital in Poland divided into four age groups: children, the young, adults, seniors. Seniors were defined as people in immobile age, 50 and more years old. Intellectual capital of Polish seniors, measured by 117 indicators, is the lowest among 16 countries involved in studies. The main causes are i.a.:

low level of professional activity of Polish seniors,

high level of alienation among older people,

low level of healthcare service access.

As actions necessary to undertake in order to improve standard of living of Polish seniors, the document recommends:33

introducing radical government policy toward people of 50+, encouraging and

stimulating professional, social and educational activity of those people and their

employers,

creating a social pact for activity of people of 50+ and promoting healthy aging model,

undertaking actions for changing social attitude towards older people,

improving educational offer and profiling it to satisfy needs and expectations of older

people,

(02/01/2011) and Implementation Document to National Reform Programme for years 2008-2011 for realisation of Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers on 19 May 2009, http://www.mg.gov.pl/Gospodarka/Krajowy+Program+Reform/Dokument+implementacyjny (02/01/2011).

31 Strategy of Country Development 2007-2015, Ministry of Regional Development, Document accepted by the Council of Ministers on 29 October 2006, Warsaw 2006. 32 Strategic Governing Plan, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Warsaw, February 2008, http://www.poprzedniastrona.premier.gov.pl/s.php?id=1772 (02/02/2011). 33 Report on intellectual capital of Poland, Team of strategic advisors of the Prime Minister, Warsaw 2008, p. 137.


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introducing preparation for retirement in the system of formal education and company

training programmes,

popularising age management,

carrying out reform of retirement system, so that it would encourage longer professional

activity by financing mechanisms.

National Reform Programme for years 2008-2011 for realisation of the Lisbon Strategy defines directions of needed changes in Poland in the context of social and economic priorities accepted by the Community in the Lisbon Strategy. It takes into account declarations and decisions of Polish government included in previously mentioned documents. Issues of stimulating professional activity of older people were included mostly in the Active society priority. In frames planned to realisation within this priority, 1,2 and 3 target group of undertaken interventions would be older people.

Table 7. Actions for stimulating professional activity of older people included in National Reform Programme for years 2008-2011 for realisation of Lisbon Strategy

Action Challenges referring to the population of older

people

Actions in reference to the population of older

people Expected results

1. Development of education in society and economy based on knowledge

Development of gradual education instruments of employees after 50

Creating Strategy of lifelong learning

Popularising modern methods of information and communication in the process of adult education and individual learning

Improvement of human resources quality

Growth of employment

2. Modernisation of social security system: realisation of social insurance reform and carrying out actions in order to delay deactivation of employees

Introduction of solutions complementary to the functioning social insurance system and creating conditions for maximal professional activity of employees, which would lead to improvement of the state of public finances

Introduction of encouragements promoting creation of individual retirement accounts

Lengthening the premium period of Demographic Reserve Fund

Lengthening professional activity among older people

Growth of generation solidarity

3. Active labour market policies

3.1. Perfecting institutional service of labour market

Rationalising service model by labour market institutions, including extending access to labour market services, essentially for people after 50, which would support lengthening of their professional activity

Improvement of institutional service of the labour market on regional and local level, especially by providing complementarity of realised services

Creating a system to guarantee quality of trainings for unemployed and job

Improvement of labour market service quality and equalising their qualitative level on the country level


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seekers

Providing public access to basic labour market services, especially to employment agency and professional advisors and information

Promoting innovative solutions in order to raise employment and stimulate professional activity

3. Active labour market policies

3.2. Introduction of encouragement system supporting professional activity of people threatened by unemployment and social exclusion, essentially including lengthening period of employees’ professional activity and return of people after 50 to labour market

Creating system and mechanisms allowing inclusion and keeping of people after 50 on labour market

focus of public employment services on stimulating professional activity of people threatened by unemployment and social exclusion

supporting employment of people after 50

equalising of women and men opportunities on labour market, keeping in mind the principle of reconciling family and professional life

improving employment-to-population ratio of people between 55 and 64 and lowering the level of social exclusion of people in this age group

reduction of budget expenditures on social care services

creating generation solidarity

Source: Author’s own elaboration based on National Reform Programme for 2008-2011 for realisation of the Lisbon Strategy, accepted by the Council of Ministers 18 October 2008, http://www.mg.gov.pl/Gospodarka/Krajowy+Program+Reform/Krajowy+Program+Reform (02/01/2011) Poland 2030 – development challenges is a government document, detailing directions of country development accepted as priorities by Donald Tusk government in 2008. The issue of older people was included directly and indirectly in four of ten challenges indicated in elaboration:

challenge 2 – demographic situation,

challenge 3 – high professional activity and adaptability of labour resources,

challenge 6 – knowledge-based economy and development of intellectual capital,

challenge 8 – improvement of social coherency.

Table 8. Recommendations for further actions regarding older people of Donald Tusk’s government included in Poland 2030 document – development challenges

Challenge Recommendations in the context of further policies regarding older people included in the document

Challenge 2 – Stimulating professional activity and employment among seniors, whose


22


demographic situation number will significantly increase as a result of incoming demographic changes. Achievement of this objective requires:

elimination of those elements of retirement-pension system, which allow earlier professional deactivation;

providing encouragements for continuation of professional career, including by a reform of those parts of retirement-pension system, which are currently unbalanced, in the direction defined by common system;

creating system supporting processes of gaining qualifications and lifelong learning.

Challenge 3 – High professional activity and adaptability of labour resources

creating an effective system of continual education, allowing to gain and change qualifications, which would increase professional mobility,

popularisation and support of using informal learning methods – qualifications gained this way should be verified and appreciated ,

development of flexible employment forms, allowing to fit professional career in the cycle of life more easily,

employment agencies should be motivated to include people in the worst situation (without qualifications, older, unemployed for a longer time and handicapped) in their programmes of stimulating professional activity.

Challenge 6 – Knowledge-based economy and development of intellectual capital

new adult education methods emphasizing usability of received material and adaptation of it to the learning style of a concrete person, which on this stage of life may be rather inflexible,

support for entrepreneurs training directed at increasing general competences, with use of individual learning, getting acquainted with workplace, internal training, mentoring, e-learning and m-learning, where would find application knowledge and experience of older people.

Challenge 8 – Improvement of social coherency

change of traditionally perceived social coherency, only in context of incomes and threat of poverty, which should be reduced by social transfers, in the way of new attitude, which should be focused on effective use of the potential of distinct people and social groups, and despite their deficits or dysfunctions, also in the perspective of regional diversity,

instruments of social policy concentrated on elimination or minimising of the causes of exclusion,

continuation of changes in social security system based on the priority of generational transfers petrifying state of passiveness ,

proposing new instruments directed to older people, who despite their limitations would be able to remain professionally active. This concerns especially adapting workplaces, effective qualification gain system and return to the labour market, and from the other side, creating a model of safety in times of unemployment or inability to remain professionally active,

increasing consciousness and popularising of priority of work over receiving pensions. Being employed should be treated as a real instrument of social inclusion,

access to education at each stage of life, services of labour market, such as professional advice or employment agency and to rehabilitation, which would allow to fully participate in social and professional life.


23


Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: M. Boni (red.): Poland 2030 – development challenges, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Warsaw 2009. Country Development Strategy 2007-2015 (SRK), according to Decree about principles of carrying out development policy34, is a primary document programming development policy in Poland. It was accepted on 29 November 2006. On 1 June 2009 Council of Ministers accepted Supplementary information to the document titled Assumptions of actualisation of Country Development Strategy 2007-2015 accepted by the Council of Ministers on 30 December 2008, and in this way time horizon of SRK (Country Development Strategy) was lengthened until 2020 and reconstruction of functional strategies scheme was initiated. In this way taken into account – in the part considering priorities and activity – social and economic changes and their consequences for the country, which appeared from the time of accepting first version of the document. On 24 November 2009 Council of Ministers accepted Plan of arranging development strategy, which replaced 41 previous documents with 9 new ones, realising medium and long term country development strategy. Illustration 2. National development strategy 2007-2015 and functional strategies

Source: Service of Team of Strategic Advisors of the Prime Minister, http://www.zdp.kprm.gov.pl/index.php?id=293 (10/01/2011) In SRK (Country Development Strategy) as well as in functional strategies aspect of problems regarding stimulating social and professional activity of older people is a subject of research expected to be realised in Poland in next years. In Country Development Strategy 2007-2015 older people were indicated as a target group of undertaken actions in third and fourth priorities.

34 Decree from 6 December 2006 about principles of carrying out development policy (2006 Nr 227, pos. 1658, with further changes).


24


Table 9. Older people as target group of actions described in National Development Strategy 2007-2015

SRK Priority Actions described in SRK, which treat older people as a target group

Priority 3 – Increase of employment and its quality

creating conditions favourable for enterprise and lowering financial burden on entrepreneurs, including e.g. advice for people creating their own economic activity, lowering non-salary work costs, especially for entrepreneurs employing marginalised people,

popularisation of flexible employment forms and increase of labour resource mobility

initiatives for equal opportunities in work place, including returning people in unfavourable situation and from outside labour market back on it

increasing participation of social economy sector in fight with social exclusion

in the policy of maintaining employment of 50+ people substantial will be continuing retirement reforms with simultaneous limiting of institutional encouragements for earlier retirements, increasing effectiveness of prophylaxis as well as promotion of keeping people from this group employed in companies,

activities for gaining qualifications and competences directed at better use of professional experience,

Priority 4 – Creating integrated social community and its security

supporting self-organisation of local communities

promotion of integration policy and stimulating social activity, especially development of social employment institutions, social cooperatives, social housing, professional rehabilitation, development of social contracts and other instruments stimulating activity, used by social services,

building support system for older people, especially building a complex caring system, stimulating activity and integrating older people in local communities and development of long-term and palliative-hospice caring

Source: Author’s own according to Country Development Strategy 2007-2015, Ministry of Regional Development, Document accepted by the Council of Ministers on 29 November 2006, Warsaw 2006. Among functional strategies, references to stimulating professional activity of older people are included in: Strategy of Human Resources Development35 and Strategy of Social Capital Development 2011-202036. Strategy of Human Resources Development is a document directed at stimulating until 2020 educational, professional, family and social activity of Poles, their adaptability to radically changing social and economic conditions and affirmation. Activities proposed in the Strategy are distinct for each phase of life cycle. For old age stage were presented activities such as:

promotion of professional and social activity of older people,

development of silver economy,

creating models of continual education adequate to the needs of older people,

35 Strategy of Human Resources Development, Team of Strategic Advisors of the Prime Minister, http://www.zdp.kprm.gov.pl/index.php?id=293 (10/01/2011). 36 Strategy of Social Capital Development 2011-2020, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Warsaw, June 2010, http://bip.mkidn.gov.pl/pages/polityka-wewnetrzna-i-zagraniczna/strategia-rozwoju-kapitalu-spolecznego. php (02/01/2011).


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increasing access to innovative solutions allowing active social participation of older

people and as a result improvement of social coherency,

improvement of the general state of health of older people, by e.g. modern prophylaxis

programmes.

In Strategy of Social Capital Development 2011-2020 older people were indicated as direct target group of favourable activity in first strategic objective: increasing participation of citizens in public and social life.

Table 10. Directions of actions included in Strategy of Social Capital Development 2011-2020 that directly or indirectly consider older people.

Strategic objective

Operational objectives Directions of activities

Incr

ease

of

citi

zen

’s p

arti

cipat

ion in p

ublic

and s

oci

al life

Increase of the level of social trust, between citizens as well as citizens for the state and state for the citizens

popularisation of modern technology applications as a form of mutual communication and informing about social life

Strengthening and development of organised forms of civil activities

supporting development and reinforcing social background of non-governmental organisations: leaders, employees, members and volunteers

making public infrastructure accessible for civil activities

Development of civil education and other activities popularising norms and social behaviours favourable for cooperation

creation and introduction of civil education programmes in school system as well as beyond it, directed to various age groups

creation and introduction of programmes for education of public and social life leaders

promotion and support of volunteer work

Strengthening of social integration and social solidarity

support for creation and introduction of social integration activities directed to groups threatened by social exclusion, especially children from dysfunctional families, countryside communities, unemployed for a longer time, handicapped and older people

supporting professional activity of socially excluded, especially by development of social enterprise

support for programmes encouraging and allowing access to new technologies, especially for 50+ people and countryside inhabitants

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to Strategy of Social Capital Development 2011-2020, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Warsaw, June 2010, http://bip.mkidn.gov.pl/pages/polityka-wewnetrzna-i-zagraniczna/strategia-rozwoju-kapitalu-spolecznego.php (02/01/2011). In May 2007 Poland as a member state of European Union, according to the guidelines of the Community, prepared National Strategic Reference Frames for years 2007-201337 (NSRO).

37 Poland. National Strategic Reference Frames 2007-2013 supporting economic growth and employment. National Coherency Strategy. The document was approved by the decision of European Commission accepting some elements of


26


This document takes statements of Country Development Strategy 2007-2015 and National Reform Programme for realisation of Lisbon Strategy assumptions into account. NSRO defines support directions from Union’s funds in current stage of programming and is an instrument of reference for preparing operational programmes. NSRO considers the issue of older people mostly in the second objective: improvement of human resources quality and social coherency.

Table 11. National Cohesion Strategy 2007-2013 regarding problems of older people

Objective Range Diagnosis of problems among older people

Range of proposed actions

Obje

ctiv

e 2: Im

pro

vem

ent

of

hum

an r

esourc

es q

ual

ity

and s

oci

al c

oher

ency

Increase of society education level and quality of learning

low or maladjusted abilities to the needs of modern labour market

problems with staying on labour market because of lack of proper abilities

activities resulting in wider access to education on all stages of learning

learning associated with demands of labour market

improvement of quality of offered educational services and effectiveness of learning

Active labour market policy

older people often loosing job

longer than average unemployment being a cause of professional passiveness

increase of dynamics of the transfer between unemployment and work, from inactivity to employment

creation and development of effective labour market and social care institutions

modernisation of social care systems and labour market in order to maintain their proper functioning

promoting new way of attitude towards job in balance with human life cycle

Supporting health potential of human resources

increase of the number of older people

keeping human resources in state of professional activity

equalising access to healthcare and providing high quality and equal level of services regardless of location

promotion of health and prophylaxis

increasing consciousness of employees about safety and hygiene of work

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: Poland. National Strategic Reference Frames 2007-2013 supporting economic growth and employment. National Coherency Strategy. The document was approved by the decision of European Commission accepting some elements of National Strategic Reference Frames. Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw, May 2007,

National Strategic Reference Frames. Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw, May 2007, http://www.funduszeeuropejskie.gov.pl/WstepDoFunduszyEuropejskich/Documents/NSRO_maj2007.pdf (02/01/2011).


27


http://www.funduszeeuropejskie.gov.pl/WstepDoFunduszyEuropejskich/Documents/NSRO_maj2007.pdf (02/01/2011). A detailed range of instruments for stimulating professional activity of older people, mentioned in NSRO, is included in i.a. National Employment Strategy for years 2007-201338 and Human Resources Operational Programme. In National Employment Strategy 2007-2013 activities that have indirect influence on stimulating professional activity of older people were planned in the second priority: Development of continual education and improvement of education quality and in the fourth priority: Stimulating activity of the unemployed and threatened by social exclusion. Activities with a direct influence on the position of older people on labour market were included in fourth priority, strategic objective five: Stimulating professional activity of people after 50. Those include among others.:

creating encouragements for employers as well as employees to employ and stay in

employment,

carrying out active pro-employment policy for people after 50 by employment services.

Activities carried out in next years, with co-financing from Union’s funds, should cause such effects as increase of employment of people after 50, increase of the number of the unemployed after 50 in active labour market programmes, increase of the ratio of reemployment of people after 50 involved in labour market programmes. A perfect example of a medium-term document, agreeing with guidelines of National Development Strategy and National Employment Strategy, programming activity of Polish labour market is the National Task Plan for Employment for years 2009-201139. Stimulating professional activity of people after 50 is one of the primary objectives included in the priority Building coherency of labour market.

38 National Employment Strategy for years 2007-2013. The document was accepted by the Council of Ministers on 6 September 2005. Document was accompanying realisation of National Development Plan for years 2007-2013, Ministry of Economy and Labour, Warsaw 2005, http://www.mpips.gov.pl/index.php?gid=584 (10/01/2011). 39 National Task Plan for Employment for years 2009-2011, Attachment to the act nr 111/2010 of the Council of Ministers from 14 July 2010, Warsaw 2010.


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Table 12. Activation of people of the age of 50+ in the National Action Plan for Employment for years 2009-2011

Field Objective Planned activity Expected effects

Equal

isin

g o

pport

unit

ies

on lab

our

mar

ket

stimulation of professional activity of people after 50

longer employment of older people

widening knowledge about current situation of older people in Poland

analysis of already functioning programmes for older people

current diagnosis of older people situation on labour market

creating conception and carrying out informative-promotional campaign to stimulate older people activity on labour market

publishing informative materials and creating teleinformatic instruments to popularise information about situation of older people on labour market and actions stimulating their activity

creating database of solutions used in order to keep people after 50 on labour market

creating 2 training modules in form of e-learning

publishing 100 k informative brochures for people after 50 and handbook including catalogue of solutions used in the project

publishing 2 k recommendations catalogues considering actions undertaken for stimulating activity of people after 50

organisation of a national conference and 16 regional conferences promoting professional activity of older people

creation of a web page http://www.50plus.gov.pl

Commune integration and work places for people after 50

improvement of quality and effectiveness of functioning institutions representing social support and public employment services

diagnosis of the state of cooperation between institutions of social support and poviat employment agencies

creation of a model of such cooperation and its tests

creation of quality standards of labour market institution services in units of territorial governments

preparation of recommendation for perfecting cooperation of various institutions for stimulating professional activity of older people

strengthening cooperation between OPS’ (Social Help Centres) and Employment Agencies in the field of stimulating professional activity of people after 50

development of a base of institutions and subjects, in which various forms of support for the target group (50+ people) may be organised


29


Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: National Task Plan for Employment for years 2009-2011, Attachment to the act nr 111/2010 of the Council of Ministers from 14 July 2010, Warsaw 2010.

Realisation of most of proposed actions for stimulating professional activity of older people in Poland is carried out in the form of projects partly financed from the European Social Fund as a part of Human Resources Operational Programme40 (PO KL – Program Operacyjny Kapital Ludzki). The objective of the Programme is „allowing maximal use of human resources by increase of employment and adaptation potential of companies and their employees, improvement of the level of society education, reduction of the fields of social exclusion and support for creation of administrative structures of the state”. PO KL includes 10 priorities, among them 9 merit and one titled Technical help, part of which is realised on central level, part - on regional one. Priorities realised on central scale include:

Priority 1: Employment and social integration,

Priority 2: Development of human resources and adaptation potential of companies and

improvement of health level of the employed,

Priority 3: High quality of educational system,

Priority 4: Higher education and learning,

Priority 5: Good governing.

Four merit priorities are realised on regional scale:

Priority 6: Labour market open for everyone,

Priority 7: Promotion of social integration,

Priority 8: Regional economic personnel,

Priority 9: Development of qualifications and competences in regions.

Overview of typical actions for stimulating professional activity of older people financed as a part of PO KL was limited to the preferences from VI and VIII priorities, mentioned in Activity Plan for 2011, approved for Pomeranian voivodeship.

Table 13. Older people as target group in contests prepared in Plan of actions for year 2011 in Pomeranian voivodeship in VI and VIII priority of Operational Programme Human Resources

Number and title of action

Project types Older people as

expected target group 6.1.1. Support for unemployed people on regional labour market

Identification of needs of the unemployed, by for example application of Individual Activity Plans, diagnosis of training demands and opportunities of professional learning in the region.

organisation of workshops and trainings concerning active job seeking and gaining key competences.

Psychological and advisory support for people

Project’s target group consists of at least 30% of people without job (including those registered as unemployed) after 50, including at least 10% of people after 55 and more

40 Human Resources Operational Programme. National Strategic Reference Frames 2007-2013, Ministry of Regional Development, Warsaw 7 September 2007, http://www.kapitalludzki.gov.pl/dokumenty/program-kapital-ludzki/ (10/01/2011)


30


coming or returning to labour market.

Realisation of professional activity programmes including one of the following forms of support:

· job mediation and/or professional advice,

· probations/professional practices,

· trainings leading to gaining or changing professional qualifications,

· subsidiary employment.

Support for voluntary work as a stage preparing for employment among others by providing training and advisory support for the volunteer.

Support for initiatives directed at increasing geographic mobility (regional and interregional) of the unemployed, i.a. by financing costs of transport between workplace and place of living or return of accommodation costs.

Popularisation and promotion of alternative and flexible employment forms and work organisation methods (including remote work, part-time work, rotation work) .

Training and advisory support for employees, who gained employment as a result of a project leading to their adaptation to workplace (bridging support).

6.1.2. Support for poviat and voivodeship employment agencies in realisation of actions for stimulating professional activity of the unemployed in the region

Projects directed at improving and developing public employment services in the region i.a. by trainings, advice, labour market research, including:

popularisation of employment agencies and professional advice in the region, i.a. by co-financing employment of professional advisors and mediators,

trainings, active and co-financing of postgraduate studies, licence studies and supplementary mastery studies for personnel of public employment services working on the territory of the region, associated directly with requirements and specification of activities realised by them concerning stimulating professional activity of the unemployed and job seekers.

This part of the project requires improvement of professional qualifications concerning service and support of the handicapped and people after 50.

6.3. Local initiatives directed at stimulating professional activity on the countryside

Rank-and-file local initiatives, involving:

informative, promotional, training and advice actions for stimulating capability for employment and development of services stimulating activity

development of dialogue, public-social partnership and cooperation in order to support stimulation of professional activity on countryside

Target group in this project consists in 100% of people after 50 and/or handicapped and as a part of the project, it is expected to involve all already mentioned participants in individual support in form of coaching or „1 for 1” trainings.

8.1.1 Support of professional

General and specialist trainings and advice associated with trainings for administrative

Target group in the project consists in at


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qualification development and advice for companies

personnel and company employees considering: management, identification of needs in the aspect of employee qualifications, work organisation, flexible employment forms, introducing environment-friendly production technologies, application of informative and communication technologies in one’s activity

least 50% of: people with medium or lower education and people after 50 and as a part of the project, it is expected to involve all participants from this age category in individual support in the form of coaching or „1 for 1” training.

8.1.2 Support for adaptation and modernisation processes in the region

Help for creating local partnerships that involve companies, organisations of employers, trade unions, units of local government, employment agencies and other environments directed at creation and introduction of strategies of predicting and managing economic change on local and voivodeship level

Target group in the project consists in at least 50% of: people with medium or lower education and people after 50 and as a part of the project, it is expected to involve all participants from this age category in individual support in the form of coaching or „1 for 1” training.

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: Abstracts from Activity Plans for 2011 in Pomeranian voivodeship, Human Resources Operational Programme Priority VI: Labour market open for everyone and Priority VIII: Regional economy personnel, Department of European Social Fund in Marshal Office in Gdańsk, December 2010, http://www.defs.woj-pomorskie.pl/pl/dokumenty/plany_dzialan (21/01/2011).

2.3. Dedicated programmes

Basic of Polish policy for softening social and economic effects of society aging are defined by i.a.:

50 plus – programme for employment of people after 50 (Ministry of Economy and

Labour in 2004),

Programme 45/50 plus – programme of activities for promotion of employment,

softening unemployment effects and stimulating professional activity of people in

immobile age (Ministry of Economy and Social Policy in 2008),

Generation Solidarity Programme. Actions for stimulating professional activity of

people after 50 (the Council of Ministers in 2008),

In the mentioned documents preferred aspect of methods of actions for lengthening professional activity of older people and/or introducing them to labour market was presented. This involves actions such as:41

professional and general trainings, including those concerning job seeking,

trainings associated with gaining funds for creating one own’s economic activity or

creating social cooperative,

41 Programme 45/50 plus – programme of activities for promotion of employment, softening unemployment effects and stimulating professional activity of people in immobile age. Principles of giving refunds from Labour Fund constituted as a reserve of Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Warsaw, May 2008, p. 11.


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trainings associated with creating a workplace at the employer’s ,

giving refunds for financing costs of trainings in order to allow being employed or

undertaking other kind of work requiring specific qualifications,

refunds of costs of employment of an unemployed person for employers,

professional advice and help in active job seeking.

What’s more, „standard” methods of stimulating profession activity of older people are still in use in Poland, as a result of Decree about employment promotion and labour market institutions42. Those are:

activisation bonus,

intervention jobs,

socially useful jobs,

probation and professional preparation in workplace,

training credits,

public works,

scholarships for the period of continual education,

trainings,

support for economic activity,

refunds for communication and accommodation costs.

The unemployed after 50 are considered by the legislator as „people in a special situation on the labour market”. This means that they have more rights in comparison to other groups of the unemployed, to use forms of stimulating professional activity mentioned in the Decree. Poviat Employment Agency is obliged to present an offer of paid job, participation in a professional preparation in workplace or employment in intervention or public works for those people within the period of 6 months from the date of registration.

2.4. Summary

Overview of documents programming development policy in Poland allows to safely state that issues of society aging, negative social and economic effects of this process and important need of their limitation and countering their intensification in the future, are treated really seriously. In every governmental strategic programme document as well as in executive documents and in many legislative acts the need of undertaking actions for stimulating social and professional activity of people after 50 is emphasized. Strategic programmes, dedicated especially for this social group and solving its problems, were created. Actions included in already mentioned documents focuses mostly on:

42 Decree from 20 April 2004 about promotion of employment and labour market institutions (Nr 99, pos. 1001 with further changes).


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development of adult education, including preparation of special learning programmes

and instruments used in this process (including e-learning), allowing to gain abilities

adequate to the demands of modern labour market,

reform of retirement system directed at increasing retirement age limit, equalising it for

women and men, application of finance impulses encouraging longer professional

activity,

development of institutions and services of labour market and their better adaptation to

support older people on labour market,

promotion of flexible employment forms, allowing adapting the way of work to proper

phase of human cycle of life,

improvement of healthcare quality, including development of prophylaxis programmes,

favourable for keeping better state of health and readiness to work for a longer time,

support for entrepreneurs, employers employing older people.

Financing any actions stimulating professional activity of older people is expected to be carried out by the use of the national and Union funds, including essentially:

Labour Fund,

Fund of Guaranteed Employee Bonuses,

Social Insurance Fund,

Bridging Retirement Fund,

European Social Fund.

Following subjects are in charge of realisation of the activities for stimulating professional activity of older people in Poland:

Ministry of Labour and Social Policy,

Poviat and Voivodeship Employment Agencies,

Social Help Centres.

In the process of stimulating professional activity of older people such thing as so-called indirect responsibility can be mentioned. It involves among others centres providing educational services directed to adults, entrepreneurs as employers deciding about structure of employment in their organisations, non-public institutions involved in actions stimulating activity on labour market and institutions of so-called social economy.


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3. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in chosen European Union Member States

3.1. Current Swedish system

The primary document programming social and economic development in Sweden in current stage of programming is The National Strategy for Regional Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Employment 2007-2013. It includes guidelines concerning centrally undertaken actions and is a reference point for documents that program development of regions and distribution of European Union support funds.

Illustration 2. Implementation of The National Strategy for Regional Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Employment 2007-2013 on national, multicounty and county level

Source: National Strategy for Regional Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Employment 2007-2013.

The aim of this strategy is to create more competitive regions and individuals in Sweden. The government has recognized one main target of the strategy - sustainable development - which should permeate all regional development work through three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. The strategy also has four so called “national priority areas”. These are:

innovation and renewal,

skills and increased labour supply,

accessibility,

strategic cross border cooperation.

The strategy is divided into different parts according to theme. In the strategy’s labour and employment section, there is no special focus on labour market policy strategies for 55+. However, the strategy mentions the internationally comparable high participation of older on


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the Swedish Labour market43 and comments ”the high participation of women and the older is positive for labour-market participation and thus for growth opportunities in the economy”. The range of instruments of the policy of stimulating activity of older people in Sweden is defined also by other strategic programme documents. Among them are i.a.:

Adjustment of working conditions in an age perspective – guidelines describing the

particular characteristics of older employees from a physical and psychological

perspective,

Senior Policy for the Future. 100 steps towards security and development with an

ageing population,

A stronger protection against discrimination.

Table 14. Strategic documents shaping policy of stimulating professional activity of older people in Sweden

Title of the document Short summary Adjustment of working conditions in an age perspective – guidelines describing the particular characteristics of older employees from a physical and psychological perspective [Swedish Work Environment Authority, April 2004]

This document emphasizes the general responsibility of the employer to design the work environment so as to take into account the particular characteristics of the employees from a physical and psychological perspective. It gives detailed recommendations on e.g., workplace design, shift work, and stress, where the older workforce might be particularly vulnerable.

Senior Policy for the Future. 100 steps towards security and development with an ageing population [Parliamentary study, SOU 2003:91, October 2003]

This study was initiated by the Swedish Parliament in order to establish a knowledge bank for political decisions in the general field of senior policy, however not in particular with respect to the labour market. It is a very extensive document with many annexes containing reports from studies in different subfields. This document has been circulated widely, but is has not invoked any particular political action, except for the governmental initiative to rise pension age from 65 to 67; this means that an employee has the right to continue working full time in his or her permanent employment up to age 67

A stronger protection against discrimination [Governmental proposition to the Swedish Parliament, 6 March 2008]

This document outlines the legal framework for establishment of protection against age discrimination in working life. In practice, the law meant only marginal changes to previous protective standards. A main reason behind this is that in Sweden, much of the working life regulations are based not on governmental law, but on agreements between social partners. In the process, it became clear that the social partners did not wish to see any substantial changes. In its deliberations, the government invoked the provisions of the EC Directive, that “Member States may provide that differences of treatment on grounds of age shall not constitute discrimination, if, within the context of national law, they are objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim, including legitimate employment policy, labour market and vocational training objectives, and if the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.” Also the Mangold (C-144/04) and de la Villa (C-411/05) EC cases were referred to so as to establish the legitimate application of the subsidiary principle.

43 Older are defined as persons aged 55-64 years old. In Sweden 2005 the employment rate of this age group was 69,5 % , the highest in the EU and well above the Union’s employment target for the older on 50%. The high employment intensity in the older in Sweden applies to both men and women (72.4% and 66.7%, respectively).


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A new provision following this law was that age discrimination was made part of the obligations of the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (DO), a government agency that seeks to combat discrimination on grounds of sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age; it is new that this governmental body has the responsibility as a watchdog for all sorts of discrimination falling under the Council Directive. Individuals who feel discriminated on the basis of age may appeal directly to the DO.

Source: partial report received from: R. Kadefors, Sweden, October 2010.

3.2. Current Lithuanian system

The main document programming the policy of stimulating professional activity in Lithuania is The law on support for employment from 15 June 2006. The aim of the employment support system is to seek full employment of the population, to reduce their social exclusion and to strengthen social cohesion. Following subject are responsible for introduction of the system:

the government, specially the Ministry of Social Security and Labour,

other state institutions and agencies,

municipal institutions and agencies.

Among groups mentioned in the document as requiring support on labour market are i.a. people after 50, able to work. They are the object of three types of actions:

job rotation measure,

support for job creation subsidies,

the unemployment social insurance benefit.

Table 15. Actions for stimulating professional activity of people over 50 in Lithuania according to The Law on Support for Employment

Support for employment

Date of approval and obligatory

Priorities and goals Institutions

involved in the implementation

Job rotation measure

The Law on Support for Employment (2006-06-15) and Order No. A1-499 of the minister of Social Security and Labour “The inventory of terms and methods for implementation of active labour market policy measures” (2009-08-13).

Placement of job seekers registered with territorial labour exchanges to temporarily substitute employees during planned vacation periods or in cases provided for in collective agreements.

Lithuanian Labour Exchange at Ministry of Social Security and Labour

Support for job creation subsidies.


Support is provided to the employers creating new jobs or adapting the existing ones to the disability needs and hiring unemployed people under open-ended employment contracts, to former unemployed people within 36 months of the date of company registration or to entities



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implementing local employment initiatives to create jobs for unemployed registered with territorial labour exchanges. Support is also provided to the unemployed starting up their business to create the workplace for themselves. The employers, except for the disabled setting up their workplace, must cover at least 35% of costs necessary to create jobs and retain the workplace for at least 3 years.

The unemployment social insurance benefit


it is a temporary financial support to individuals who lost their job. The unemployment insurance benefit is paid on a monthly basis and depends on the duration of unemployment insurance before registration with the territorial labour exchange.


Source: partial report received from: T. Cornevicius, Lithuania, October 2010.


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4. Policy for stimulating professional activity of older people in regional scale

4.1. Experience of Pomeranian Voivodeship

The primary documents programming development of Polish regions are strategies of voivodeship development, prepared obligatory by regional governments44. Strategy of Pomeranian voivodeship development45 was approved in 2005 and is actual until 2020. The strategies defined three priorities: competitiveness, coherency and availability.

Table 16. Priorities and objectives of Strategy of Pomeranian voivodeship’s development

Competitiveness Coherency Availability Better conditions for enterprise and innovations

Increase of employment and professional mobility

Effective and secure transport system

High level of education and learning

Strong, healthy and integrated society,

Improvement in the functioning of technical infrastructure systems and teleinformatic systems

Development of economy using specific regional resources

Development of civil society

Easier access to social infrastructure, especially in areas structurally weak

Effective public sphere

Creating social and territorial processes to increase the standard of living

Maintenance and improvement of the state of natural environment

Strong positions and associations of Trójmiasto (Tricity) Metropolitan Area in multiregional system, mainly Baltic

Strengthening sub-regional development centres

Source: Pomeranian Voivodeship Development Strategy, Attachment to the Decree nr 587/XXXV/05 of Pomeranian Voivodeship Government from 18 June 2005, p. 23. The issue of stimulating professional activity of older people was included in the Strategy only indirectly, in the priority Coherency.

Table 17. Problematic aspects of professional activation of older people in priority Cohesion in Strategy of Pomeranian voivodeship’s development

Objective Description of development directions

Increase of employment and professional mobility

active support forms for increasing employment, especially in areas with high, structural unemployment popularisation, improvement of quality and increase of diversity of continual education, including initiation and support for education programmes adjusted to demographic trends and demands of labour market

44 Decree from 5 June 1998 about voivodeship government (2001, Nr 142, pos. 1590), Decree from 6 December 2006 about principles of carrying out development policy (2006, Nr 227, pos. 1658, with further changes). 45 Pomeranian Voivodeship Development Strategy, Attachment to the Decree nr 587/XXXV/05 of Pomeranian Voivodeship Government from 18 June 2005.


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creating conditions for lengthening professional activity and returns of graduates of therapeutic and rehabilitation programmes to labour market

Strong, healthy and integrated society

support for actions directed at reintegration of all groups threatened by exclusion support for various forms of activity, i.a. considering people in post-productive age and the handicapped

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: Pomeranian Voivodeship Development Strategy, Attachment to the Decree nr 587/XXXV/05 of Pomeranian Voivodeship Government from 18 June 2005, p. 26-27. Strategy of Pomeranian voivodeship social policy until 201346. is one of the programming documents that can be treated as functional strategy in Pomeranian voivodeship. The Strategy defines four priorities:

increase of employment and professional mobility,

strengthening social integration,

development of civil society,

improvement of social infrastructure and systems of social integration support.

People after 50 were indicated in the Strategy as being in special situation on labour market. Actions stimulating professional activity proposed in all priorities are meant to include also this target group. Following actions are of significant importance for people after 50:

development and adaptation of educational offer in order to allow employees of

restructured companies to change qualifications and save them from unemployment,

development of continual education as a way to gain qualifications and new skills to keep

current level of employment and increase chances of a promotion,

popularisation of continual education in order to reorient people that can’t work in

previous job because of restructurisation or other reasons,

equalising educational chances for the young and adults,

actions to fight barriers of entering/returning to the labour market for people threatened

with social exclusion and those excluded,

support for the process of professional and social readaptation of people threatened with

social exclusion and those already excluded,

development of initiatives in the field of social economy,

support for creation of one’s own economic activity and self-employment.

The primary executive document concerning organisation of the regional labour market is regional plan of activities for employment. In the Regional Task Plan for Employment in Pomeranian voivodeship for year 201047 people after 45 are indicated as (apart from people under 27, the handicapped, women returning to labour market after giving birth and

46 Strategy of Pomeranian voivodeship social policy until 2013, Attachment to the Decree nr 1056/L/06 of Pomeranian Voivodeship Government from 24 June 2006. 47 Regional Task Plan for Employment in Pomeranian voivodeship for year 2010, Attachment to the Decree Nr 1229/356/10 of the Board of Pomeranian Voivodeship from 21 September 2010.


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people under the effects of restructurisation processes) a group meant to receive special support in the processes of stimulating professional activity.

Table 18. Actions included in Regional Task Plan for Employment in Pomeranian voivodeship for year 2010, in which people over 45 are indicated as target (beneficial) group.

Priority Action Characteristics Recipients

1. Creation of attractive and available offer of employment

Support and promotion of enterprise and self-employment

Support for people starting their own economic activity (including establishing cooperatives and social cooperatives) by use of: advice and trainings allowing gaining knowledge and skills sufficient to establish and manage economic activity. Distributing funds for development of enterprise equal to 40 k PLN (z ). Bridging support in the period of 6 to 12 months from the day of establishing economic activity, including financial bridging support received monthly with simultaneous advice and help for effective use of donations.

People being unemployed for at least 12 successive months within 24 months before being involved in the project; women returning and entering labour market for the first time after a break caused by giving a birth and raising a child, people under 25, the handicapped, people living in countryside and countryside-town communes as well as inhabitants of cities with population under 25k willing to start being employed in fields unassociated with plant and/or animal production.

2. Increasing professional and educational activity of inhabitants of Pomerania

Popularisation of formal continual education

education in scholarly forms of adults;

programmes of formal approval of general and professional qualifications gained in informal and non-formal way;

advisory services for adults interested in formal education as a result of their own initiative;

support for adult schools, continual, practical and professionally perfecting learning facilities concerning formal education.

People between 25 and 64 and people not learning between 18 and 24 volunteering to continually learn in scholarly forms; adult schools, continual, practical and professionally perfecting learning facilities carrying out formal continual education; social and economic partners; employers.

Support for people staying without employment on regional labour market

Trainings, Individual Activity Plans, probations, professional preparation, subsidiary employment, conferences, creation of information channels, e.g.

People staying without employment, including registered as unemployed, including especially: people after 45;


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websites.

people without professional qualifications; women (especially returning or entering the labour market for the first time after a break caused by giving a birth and raising a child); the young, between 15 and 24; the handicapped; moreover: subjects working for development of human resources and popularisation of dialogue and social and economic partnership on regional and local level; labour market institutions and their employees.

Improvement of capabilities to employ and increase of the level of professional activity of the unemployed

Trainings, probations/professional preparation of adults, intervention works, distribution of one-off bonuses for establishing one’s own economic activity, including legislative help, consultations and advice associated with establishing economic activity, distributing equipment for created workplaces.

People registered in poviat employment agencies as unemployed, including especially people in especially hard situation on labour market.

Macro – opportunity for Micro - companies III

Basic advisory-training support; Investment donation; basic and lengthened bridging support; specialist advisory-training support.

The handicapped, women returning or entering labour market for the first time after a break caused by giving a birth and raising children, people between 50 and 64, people from countryside

New skills as a guarantee of a better future

Organisation of trainings: English language, informatics-computer training, business-plan training, psychological and professional advisory workshops, professional practices

20 people after 50 staying without employment from the area of s upski poviat

3. Perfection of active labour market policy

Services concerning professional information, advice and stimulating professional activity

individual and group professional information; individual and group professional advice, labour classes stimulating

People interested in being employed, defining their way of education or establishing


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professional activity economic activity; the unemployed after 18, including those registered as unemployed in poviat employment agency and job seekers, people unregistered in poviat employment agency (PUP), people after 45, the handicapped, women returning or entering labour market for the first time after a break cause by giving a birth and raising children.

Priority VI – innovative projects

Realisation of innovative projects directed at creating new solutions of stimulating professional activity of people without work. New fields of activities in social economy or enterprise and forms of stimulating professional activity of the unemployed, including people finishing their education in a year.

People staying without job (including those registered as unemployed or seeking job), especially: people finishing their education in a year, people after 50 and more; subjects working for human resources development and popularisation of public and social dialogue and partnership on regional and local level.

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to: Regional Task Plan for Employment in Pomeranian voivodeship for year 2010, Attachment to the Decree Nr 1229/356/10 of the Board of Pomeranian Voivodeship from 21 September 2010. Support for stimulating professional activity of people in immobile age in Pomeranian voivodeship is carried out also as a part of programmes and projects realised by voivodeship and poviat employment agencies. Significant part of it consists of projects financed from European Social Fund (EFS), as a part of regional component of Human Resources Operational Programme (PO KL). Range of EFS interventions as a part of PO KL in Pomeranian voivodeship is defined by a task plan for a current year – an overview of guidelines for year 2011 is included in table 13 on page 29.

Table 19. Projects and programmes aimed at people over 45 realised by Poviat Employment Office in Gdańsk

EFS Projects Trademark programme Title: Direction work Matter of the project:

probations,

trainings,

Title: Valuable maturity Matter of the project: As a part of the programme employees can receive donations from Poviat Employment Agency for employing unemployed people as a part of activities, such as:


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one-off bonuses for establishing one’s own economic activity.

Detailed information: http://www.pup.gda.pl/artykuly/282_240_kierunek-praca.html

professional preparation for adults,

intervention works,

one-off refund of the costs of workplace equipment,

probation.

Detailed information: http://www.pup.gda.pl/artykuly/261_107_dojrzalosc-w-cenie.html

Title: Breaking the barrier Matter of the project:

trainings,

probations,

psychology workshops,

professional advice (individual and for groups).

Detailed information: http://www.pup.gda.pl/artykuly/282_363_przelam-bariery.html

Title: Coupon for trainings Matter of the project: Cost of trainings included in the programme cannot exceed cost of a coupon, i.e. 4.000 PLN (zloty). Following courses cannot be included in the programme: • driving licence – B category, • language courses, • trainings included in the plan of group trainings.

Coupon for trainings" is useable for 1 month from the date of distribution, in this period an unemployed person or a job seeker is obliged to choose a training.

Detailed information: http://www.pup.gda.pl/artykuly/261_108_talon-na-szkolenie.html

Title: Educational windfall Matter of the project: As a part of the programme, three types of „EDUCATIONAL WINDFALL” are prepared – for trainings, for financing costs of examination of acquiring licence and for co-financing of postgraduate studies. Course for a driving licence of B category and language courses on a basic level cannot be included as a part of trainings financed from „EDUCATIONAL WINDFALL” programme. Cost of trainings included as a part of „EDUCATIONAL WINDFALL” programme cannot exceed 300% of an average salary, according to art.40 3 act about promotion of employment and labour market institutions. Cost of co-financing of the postgraduate studies included as a part of „EDUCATIONAL WINDFALL” programme can be equal to 100%, but cannot exceed 300% of an average salary. Detailed information: http://www.pup.gda.pl/artykuly/261_109_gratka-edukacyjna.html

Source: Author’s own elaboration according to the data from Poviat Employment Agency (PUP) in Gdansk.


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4.2. Experience of chosen NUTS III type regions of partner countries of Best Agers project

4.2.1. Norbotten, Sweden

According to the ordinance 2003:595 on regional development work, regional development programmes/strategies should be drawn up as a basis for regional development work. These programmes define a holistic, long-term regional development strategy. At present however, fewer than half of the regions have drawn up a regional development programme – Norrbotten is one of them that has. The programme forms the basis of a dialogue between the national and regional levels on key regional development issues. It should detail how the objectives for the region are to be achieved and should also include a strategy for how the county will help to achieve the national objectives. The programme details the focus and priorities for the development of the region and should state which areas are to be prioritized within the county. The programme should also refer to the region’s cross-border and functional cooperation. As the programme functions as a basis for other programmes and measures within the region and at multi-county level, initiatives within a number of policy areas can be coordinated more easily. Regional development programmes, regional growth programs and regional structural fund for regional competitiveness and employment for territorial cooperation are important tools in the implementation of the National strategy and the local and regional priorities and actions (something that was illustrated through the image on p.2). The name for Norrbotten’s programme is Vision and Overall Objectives. The new Norrbotten – a precondition for prosperity and growth in Sweden and Europe. In the regional development programme the region’s different government bodies have agreed on cooperation and different priorities to develop Norrbotten 2007-2013, through which all

parties within the cooperation have a responsibility to go through with the ambitions. The overarching goals and targets of the strategy are:

Attractive living-environment,

Good public health,

Strong economic growth (competitiveness).

The visions will be put into practice through five different program areas, which are focused on openness and collaboration, attractiveness and viability, accessibility and regional expansion, competitiveness and entrepreneurship and finally competence and labour. A special section of the development programme is dedicated to skills and labour market. In this section there is a description on the strategy for labour market and skills within the region. For example it is presented that the development of individuals, companies and the community is created through good access to education and skills. The special preconditions Norrbotten has (scarce population in a county in the periphery of Sweden and Europe) sets a high demand on the county to maintain a long-term competence supply. Therefore life-long learning should be prioritized in the county, since people also are going to change jobs many times during life. Initiatives for a diversified and open labour market increases the county’s vitality and competitiveness. However, no special attention is given to the 55+ or senior labour.


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The Regional Programme for Growth is a concrete description of how the growth target within the regional development programme will be achieved for a sustainable future in

Norrbotten. The selection criteria of the growth programme will be used by county agents in prioritization of projects to be funded by EU Structural Funds. Growth will be monitored using various types of indicators. The growth of the county is pointed out from five designated growth areas where conditions for growth is particularly good:

Knowledge intensive service industries,

Experience industry,

Test and training activities,

Energy and environmental engineering,

Basic industries – processing.

There are also growth-promoting conditions that must be met to venture full benefits. These are cross-border cooperation, R & D and innovation, Skills and Labour Supply, Employment and entrepreneurship, Accessibility - transport and ICT. There are no good practices in the development of the regional labour market directed solely towards the 55+ group in Norrbotten. When there is an age focus within regional labour market programs, the focus is primarily on the young labour force (up to 24-26 years). However, one special regional project “job till JOBB” can function as a good practice as the majority of the participants of the project were above 50 years of age. The project was completed in the end of July this year. Point of departure of the project was the Swedish labour market policy measure “jobb- och utvecklingsgarantin” (job and development guarantee), which is offered to persons whom have been absent from the labour market for a longer period of time. The job and development guarantee is made up of three phases which aims at finding employment for each participant. Phase 1 is a preparatory phase with job-coaching and mapping of the individual career preferences. Phase 2 contains traineeships and job training. Phase 3 is the last phase which enters in to force after 450 days of participation in the two previous phases and only if the participant up until then have not successfully found employment. The participant is during phase 3 employed by a partner participating in the program, for example the municipality. The employer gives the person possibility to build work experience, merits and references. In addition to this, the person receives aid with applying for jobs outside the program. With point of departure from the job and development guarantee, Gällivare Municipality and the Employment Service in Gällivare constructed the program “job till JOBB”, to assist persons reaching phase three with strengthening of contacts and networks between the individual through strong local/regional networks. The networks between the Employment Service and social economy would then lead to new methods of job creation that could be implemented within ordinary activities. The basic idea of the project is that smaller businesses/enterprise within the county takes responsibility with helping in assisting people, whom due to various limitations have had a hard time finding employment on the regular labour market. Average age in this project was 50+, which derives from the fact that the majority of long-term unemployed in Sweden often comes from the senior age category. About 20 % of the participants were 55 +.


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Another mentionable example is the new type of staffing industry that is establishing itself in Sweden. The new area within the staffing industry consists of “senior” staffing companies with both skilled and unskilled senior labour ranging from about 50 years and up. A potential employer can search for everything from a suitable babysitter to consulting missions or manager candidates. Examples of these businesses are: http://www.55plussare.se/index.htm; http://www.senioruthyrning.se/; http://www.veterankraft.se/; http://www.pensio.se. To conclude regarding national and regional labour market policy programs: The only individuals who are considered in receiving support from the different labour market policy programmes are persons that are unemployed. Primarily, the programs are used to help individuals that are the furthest away from the labour market. In addition, none of the labour market programs on national and regional basis have been specially designed to fit 55 + labour.

4.2.2. Regions of NUTS III type from Lithuania

Regional authorities in Lithuania are not legislatively responsible for conducting activities in favour of regional development and those activities are only facultative. Usually ministries and agencies of the ministries are responsible for implementation of employment support measures. However, these measures can be implemented through regional institutions, but those are not legally responsible. None of regional projects/initiatives are devoted specifically for people 55+. However, target groups of below listed projects involve also 55+.

Table 20. Projects for stimulating professional activity realised in Lithuania, aimed at people over 55 as their target group

Name of the project/initiative

Increase employment of unemployed

Support for employment and mobility

Target group

unemployed people seeking for a job and willing to participate in vocational training courses and acquire new professional skills

unemployed people seeking for a permanent or temporal job

Used instruments and methods

vocational training vocational training, job rotation, mobility of unemployed, supported employment

Achieved outputs 19 thousand (planned), 10 441 (till 1st of October, 2010), end of the project – 31.05.2011

6.4 thousand (planned)

5. Source: partial report received from: T. Cornevicius, Lithuania, October 2010.


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Final Conclusions

Unfavourable demographic situation and equally unfavourable predictions for successive decades forces member states of European Union to undertake activities in order to reduce pace of those tendencies and limit their social and economic effects. The European Commission as well as national governments are fully conscious about shrinking budget incomes and increasing costs (social expenditures) in the aging European society, changes on labour market, including appearance of a generation gap or creation of new sector of consumer goods, for which older people are the target consumers, with simultaneous dwindling of markets, for which demand is defined by people in pre-productive and productive age. As a result, increasingly often programmes are created in order to change current status and role of people in immobile age, mainly on labour market, but also in general public life. Those programmes can be divided by a range of criteria, such as:

range: regional, interregional, national, Union-scale;

objective: encouragement for return to labour market, increase of adaptability by

development of skills and their adjustment to the demands of modern labour market,

lengthening professional activity, promotion of values provided by older people,

breaking stereotypes etc.;

used aspect of methods: trainings and probations, various forms of advise and

mentoring, financing for establishment of one’s own economic activity, increasing

retirement age limit, flexible forms of employment etc.;

target group: people in immobile age, entrepreneurs – employers employing people in

immobile age, institutions of labour market and their employees etc.;

sources of financing: national social funds, funds of the European Union;

time of realisation of proposed activities: continuous, periodic – Union projects.

Analysis of documents defining frames of policy of support for stimulating professional activity of older people on labour market included in the report leads to following general conclusions:

Firstly, statements considering people in immobile age (various age ranges are used –

after 45 and more) are appearing very often, at least in strategic document programming

development policy in Poland, but are rather general. Not always they are followed by a

more detailed information in form of activity plans.

Secondly, proposed activities can be put into three groups: lengthening professional

activity by increase of retirement age limit, generally understood educational and training

activities and advice regarding self-development of older people and establishing their

own economic activity. Applicated solutions uses most often similar aspect of methods.

This causes lack of innovations and being unable to come up with more efficient and

effective solutions.

Thirdly, dominating role have propositions directed at change, adaptation of older

people (their qualifications and skills) to the demands of modern labour market. This

results in a deficit of solutions to use experience and skills already possessed by older


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people, promoting application of employee’s features according to phase of the cycle of

life, in which he or she currently is.

What’s more, rare are system activities – creating institutional structure, including

programme and finance structure. Such activities are often one-off interventions, without

proper background and possibilities of their continuation do not provide expected

results.

The main source of financing activities for stimulating professional activity of older

people in member states is European Social Fund. Economic crisis of recent years

resulted in plans of expenditure reductions in Union’s budget and is one of the main

elements threatening realisation of all planned activities.

As a final word, it can be added that actions in order to stimulate professional activity of

older people are undertaken by various subjects. Those differ in the meaning of

ownership structure, dominating activity or even territorial range of activity. Such

situation creates many opportunities, i.a.: opportunity of using different experience in

work for stimulating professional activity of older people, access to wide range of

human, material and informative resources, creation of association networks etc.

However, there also exists many threats. The main is the lack of cooperation of subjects

and coordination of undertaken activities. This may result in multiple use of the same

instrument on the same group by many institutions, with simultaneous negligence of

other groups or omittance of other, more efficient or effective instruments.

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