Active-Ageing: make way for the young elderly!

Integration, technological training and reverse mentoring: how to exploit the potential of the many over 65s still active in the workplace.

By 2030, Italy will have 3.5 million more over 65s than today; but even earlier, in 2020, there will be two over 65s for each under 15. This is a battalion of individuals as populous as the entire region of Tuscany: men and women, aged between 65 and 74, who, in a recent conference organised by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan, were defined as the “Young elderly“. This is the phenomenon of Active-Ageing, a new age group still protagonist and active in the world of work and not destined for park benches near their home.
According to an analysis by the Catholic University of Milan, 83% of the “young elderly” are retired, but the remainder – a good 17% – are still working. In addition to increased life expectancy tout court, the decision to work despite being of pensionable age is due to excellent health conditions, and to the awareness that staying productive at work can help us age better.
Active-Ageing obviously does not only concern Italy. It is no coincidence that it has become a field of managerial study and a topic of discussion within the European Union. For the EU, in fact, active ageing represents the tool for facing a demographic transition that is now evident: from populations with relatively low life expectancy but high fertility to populations with low fertility but high life expectancy.
From a corporate point of view, the challenge is to design new interventions to favour the Active-Ageing of senior employees, guaranteeing them the right place in the organisational chart. Ongoing training is needed to keep up with the times, especially when it comes to technological innovation; active involvement of the workers themselves is required.
One solution could be what is called reverse mentoring, the exchange of knowledge between juniors and seniors. However, we must also stimulate personal health and motivation, and also think about greater organisational flexibility in working hours. For this purpose, a working environment conducive to sharing spaces and environments, flexibility, sharing (in the widest possible sense: of work shifts, knowledge, skills and experiences) and connectivity looks like the ideal solution for allowing the demographic transition to be not only painless, but also an opportunity.