The IntegrAGE project's efforts at the company level are focused on building sustainable internal capacity for Age Management, especially within SMEs, to ensure the profitable employment and retention of the workforce.
This body of work centers on providing companies with a suite of validated, practical, and digital solutions that are easily accessible and scalable across the Danube Region.
Core Focus: Capacity Building and Process Integration
The primary objective for companies is to establish an efficient and integrated company-internal age management strategy. This is achieved through a multi-faceted approach:
Training for Internal Actors
The project trains the trainers by conceptualizing and piloting a comprehensive Train the Trainer curriculum. This is specifically targeted at key internal actors, such as Management, HR, and Legal Departments. The goal is to equip these personnel to apply and deliver age management workshops themselves, creating a sustainable multiplier effect.
Quality Standards and Frameworks
The project defines an "Age Friendly Company" framework and quality seal. This standard provides a clear set of requirements for employers to follow, covering areas like hiring practices, workplace ergonomics, health/wellness initiatives, and combating ageism.
Tools for Employee Empowerment and Knowledge Retention
For the employees, the focus is on enhancing their skills and maximizing the value of their accumulated experience:
Upskilling and Resilience
The project develops a validated gamified training concept customized for the labour force. This program aims to close critical skill gaps (e.g., digital skills, power skills) and enhance resilience and adaptability to the new, volatile working environment.
Knowledge Sharing and Mentoring
It establishes a company-internal train-the-mentor program through "Living Learning Labs". This innovative solution is designed to boost intergenerational cooperation by training senior employees to mentor and transfer their knowledge to younger colleagues, a direct action to combat the shortage of skilled labour.
Digital Tools and Resources
All resources, including the validated training concepts and an Age Management Toolbox , are centralized on a multilingual Information and Education Platform (Moodle-like platform), available at this link: https://en.moodle.integrage.eu/ This platform empowers employers to manage age diversity and gives employees direct access to the tools needed for continuous personal development.
Visibility and Peer Learning
The project ensures visibility and promotes adoption by cultivating a culture of sharing and demonstration:
Ambassadors and Case Studies
Companies that participate in the pilot trainings are invited to act as IntegrAGE ambassadors, sharing their positive experiences at dissemination events. The project produces an image film showcasing company internal age management through interviews with exemplary "age-friendly" companies.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Regional Peer Learning Groups are established to facilitate ongoing knowledge sharing and best practice exchange among employers across different sectors and industries.