The European Age Management Network: EQUAL - News - The 50+ in 2050

Source: Four Pillars Newsletter No 42, March 2008 - published by The Geneva Association

The European Age Management Network (EAMN) is a loose confederation of organisations drawn from EU member states each having a background in age management. Its understanding of Age Management relates to Employment strategies for an ageing workforce. This statement of intent is an agreement between individuals attending a founding meeting in Brussels on 7/8  November 2007. It represents an initial statement of collaboration. Its aim is to bring EAMN into being so that it may be built as an effective influential European voluntary agency. 

The EAMN has established a working group comprising nine members. The purpose of the working group will be to action decisions taken by the founding meeting and move forward the process of planning, strategy formation and organisational development. It is also agreed that the working group will discuss ways of how to involve all members. 

The founding meeting considers that the following tasks are of foremost importance and anticipates that the working group will give them priority in the work plan:

• Establishing an information resource database collecting in one place all available information about age management.
• Establishing a strategic list of work projects to commission or allocate to members of EAMN to properly establish a working organisation, including the establishment of an office (or virtual office) communication system, web site, etc.
• Proposing between two and four events organised by EAMN in 2008. One of these should be a symposium on work ability. One should be a more general dissemination event on age management, involving politicians, employers, EAMN members and others.

 The network’s vision is:

• To develop and extend the concept of age management to a common understanding as a mechanism to successfully embrace demographic changes facing the labour market across the life-course.
• To promote Age Management in practice at the levels of the individual, enterprise and society.
• The concept of Age Management promotes longer and better quality working life across the life-course in a way that is favourable for employers as well as individuals and society.

 Age Management:

• Is a shared responsibility for individuals, enterprises and society and takes place in a number of different settings.
• Is an approach to managing, deploying and developing human resources and the design and organisation of their work in the interest of economic, organisational and individual success.
• Has a special yet inclusive focus on the ageing workforce across the life-course and is characterised by a multidisciplinary, holistic and evidence-based approach.