Best Agers Lighthouses – Promoting Advantages of Age Management

Creating and promoting advantages of age management in small and medium-sized enterprises and public organisations

In the face of demographic change, the attitude in society vis-à-vis the elderly will need to change considerably, especially as regards professional life. Research results of the previous project “Best Agers” have shown that it can be economically beneficial for employers to provide professional occupation to older employees (55+) on a longer-term basis. The aim of the follow-up project “Best Agers Lighthouses” is to implement Age Management in the human resources policy of enterprises and public institutions.

In the INTERREG IV B Project “Best Agers Lighthouses”, follow-up project of “Best Agers“, local Age Management Partnerships (LAMP) were created in eight partner regions. Every LAMP consists of one project partner, a public or private employer, an internal mentor as well as an experienced external consultant.

An intervention has been carried out within each of these LAMPS, identifying threats and opportunities resulting from the employer´s personnel age structure and helps to reform HR management in order to make better use of the knowledge and experiences of older workers in key positions. The interventions were scientifically evaluated and the partners demonstrated measurable benefits and success factors of applying age management to provide incentives for other employers to follow suit and to stimulate decision makers and the social partners to give age management more room in national policy discussions.

“Best Agers Lighthouses“ was approved in November 2012 under the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013.