The project aimed to:

• raise awareness of the problems of ageing workforce among companies, the partner federations and their branch or regional associations, other social partner organizations, government and the general public,
• identify obstacles to the employment of older workers and to initiate the needed measures to
  manage an ageing workforce properly,
• strengthen social dialogue in the new member states and one candidate country and to reinforce 
  the capacities of central European employers organisations (and their branch associations).

The partners involved in the project opened up the topic of an ageing workforce in the frame of employers’ associations and their members in their countries and thus also reached a wider public. The results of the survey about employing older workers, which was carried out during the project in the involved countries, and the national activities (exchange of the crucial information with companies, governmental institutions) helped the involved federations to understand the obstacles and problems which companies face when employing older workers. We also gain very useful information on the opportunities for the employment of older workers, as well as on resolving the main dilemma, what should be done in order for companies to employ (more) older workers. The ageing of the workforce will stay on the agenda of our federations and our cooperation will continue. The integration of an ageing workforce and raising awareness will present the important task in the future. The employers’ associations involved in this project will play a more active role in the field of an ageing workforce in the future.

The results of the project:

• Position Paper of Six Central and Eastern Europe Employers’ Associations: Ageing workforce – Managing the Challenge,
• Survey among employers in order to explore the obstacles and opportunities for increasing the labour-force participation of older workers
• Final conference “Ageing workforce – How to Manage the Challenge”

Partners involved in the project:

• Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists (MGYOSZ) – Hungary
• Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SPCR) – Czech Republic
• National Union of Employers (RUZ) – Slovakia
• Federation of Austrian Industry (IV) – Austria
• Croatian Employers Association (HUP) – Croatia

Supporting European Social Partner Organization:

• The Confederation of European Business – BUSINESSEUROPE

More information: barbara.hrovatin@zds.si

The project received funding from the European Commission.