Employment in ageing societies

Employment in ageing societies
Photo © Adobe Stock/ Dmytro

Employment in ageing societies

2–13 December 2024
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course

A person born today in Europe has a 50 per cent chance to become 100 years old, and in some countries such as Japan the probability is even higher. However, this is not an issue that only involves advanced economies. For instance, life expectancy in Africa has grown very fast and now stands at almost 65 years. As a consequence, workforces are also ageing, either because people want to work longer or because they have to in order to make ends meet.

Nonetheless, labour force participation rates for older people are still the lowest of all age groups all over the world, indicating that we don't use the potential of older workers in a way that ageing societies need to. Low participation rates are a particular issue for women, adding in many cases to growing old age poverty amongst women.

In order to effectively respond to this demographic transition, it is first of all important to understand how this affects the labour market and specific sectors (such as agriculture and the care sector, among others) of both advanced and emerging countries. Secondly, it is key to highlight the potential opportunities of ageing societies for labour markets.

This course, organized by the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme of the ITCILO in collaboration with the Employment Policy Department of the ILO, will analyse both the macro and micro aspects of ageing trends and will provide participants with insights on how to analyse the trend and its implications for societies and what type of policies are needed to support inclusive societies that take into account the need for intergenerational justice linked to labour markets, workplaces and societies as a whole. In doing so, the course will draw on the latest ILO research and countries' experiences, with a view to raising awareness among policy makers, social partners and the general public on the issues related to ageing workforces within ageing societies.

Who attends this course?

The course is designed for professionals working in the field of employment and labour market policies, including: Government officials; Representatives of workers' and employers' organizations; International organizations and development agencies; Private sector entities; Research and higher education institutions; Civil society organizations; Individual practitioners and consultants working on the issue.

Course Objectives

 

This new course has a two-fold objective: on the one hand, thanks to the contribution of senior ILO experts, this course aims at interpreting current trends of ageing workforces and societies in order to raise awareness and better equip participants and their respective to effectively respond to these issues and turn challenges into opportunities. On the other hand, the outcomes of the interactions and the experience shared during the course will feed into the research that the ILO Employment Policy Department is currently carrying out on the topic and will enable participants to learn from each other.

Participants will therefore play a key role in this two-way learning and knowledge-sharing process. Moreover, by exposing them to an appropriate combination of theoretical insights and knowledge sharing, the course will allow participants to:

  • Become familiar with relevant indicators and current trends of ageing workforces and societies both at global and sectoral level;
  • Acknowledge the challenges and opportunities arising from ageing societies;
  • Analyse how employment policies can respond to the challenges brought by an ageing workforce;
  • Become aware of the biases and perceptions linked to ageism in societies and workplaces;
  • Become familiar with the concept of intergenerational solidarity and its importance in supporting future societies and labour markets.

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