Overall goals
The project “InCounselling50+” proposes to develop, test and finalize a holistic and scientifically based concept for innovative career counselling and guidance. The target group are HR and career counsellors. They will be directly addressed by the project activities, i.e. a face-to-face training, a self-directed online course and a specific counselling concept. The end-users group (indirect target group) are people aged 50+ (employees/job seekers 50+ and employees in transition to retirement). Finally, they should be the most beneficiary group of the project activities. The concept and all materials are free accessible and can be used by different institutions like companies’ human resource management (HRM), public employment services (PES), universities, or institutions for vocational training. Adaptive concepts for regions can be developed from the basic concept.
Our activities
1. Needs analysis
As a first step of our project the Polish project partner UJD has designed a questionnaire to survey people 50+ and to interview HR and counselling practitioners. The conduction period is running between March and April 2017. Final analysis and results are expected in May 2017. The overall report is going to be published in June (take a look in Publications).
It is our aim to conduct current employment status and opinions about competences, trainings and job as well as labour market requirements for people 50+ in Croatia, Germany and Poland. Therefore, approximately 200 people of the golden generation will be surveyed. To match these needs with the enterprises’ and HRM’s expectations and needs we are going to interview around 30 HR and counselling practitioners. The focus lies on the requirements of the current labour market situation and working life for the generation 50+.
2. Training/program for HR and counselling practitioners
On basis of the needs analysis, we are going to develop a training's program. The training consists of two parts, a face-to-face training and/or a self-directed online course. Both parts are optional, one can attend either the face-to-face training or the self-directed online course, or both training and course. In the last case the course serves to deepen and strengthen the knowledge and skills. HR and counsellor practitioners are supposed to acquire knowledge and competences in working and supporting employees 50+, including those in transition to retirement, and jobseekers50+.
The program is going to be finished by the end of 2017 and is going to be tested in spring 2018. There will be more information uploaded under Events after the completion of the training’s program. The online course is planned to be finished in summer 2018 and will be tested separately.
3. Specific counselling concept
To ensure a holistic approach, we seek to design a method to support employees 50+, including those in transition to retirement, and jobseekers 50+ in addition to the training and the online course. This method is about how to promote the integration of the generation 50+ in a proactive and sustainable manner in working life. Possible methods could be cross-generational work groups or mentoring. that intend to encourage further learning and training, specifically for those 50+.
This topic is currently under development. As soon as we complete this part in June 2017, we are going to provide more information about this.
4. Multiplier events (read more under Events soon)
The so called multiplier events are public events, which are accessible for everyone. The target groups are especially employees 50+, including those in transition to retirement, and jobseekers 50+, HR and counselling practitioners, enterprises, politicians and other researchers or further projects.
With this event we want to give an overall presentation of our project and national partners, the outcomes (training, online-course and specific counselling concept) and recommendations for such trainings or programmes and also like to give a future outlook on development trends for this topic.