Results

Blenders, Belgium

Blenders collaborated with three organizations: Web vzw, Blenders vzw, and Natuurwerk vzw. Two informative sessions were held, one at Web vzw for all WEB employees and another at Blenders vzw for employees from Blenders and Natuurwerk. During these sessions, the concepts of “keeping employees on board” and the buddy program were introduced. Following the sessions, employees signed up and completed a competency assessment covering 21st-century skills. Individual introductory meetings were conducted to assess skills, discuss learning objectives, and approach the buddy program. Based on these insights, participants were paired for mutual learning. Duos established learning objectives and strategies. There was a mid-term group evaluation, with final evaluations conducted individually or in duos. The progress of the duo-based programs yielded diverse insights, revealing several critical success factors. Below, you can find the results of these findings.

This buddy pair has created an comic strip to showcase their digital storytelling efforts.

Topcoach, Slovakia

Topcoach has examined the role of sustainable employability in the modern work environment, focusing on companies in Slovakia. The findings underscore the challenges faced by older employees (55+), such as age discrimination and limited development opportunities. You can find the results in the document below. These outcomes propose solutions, including addressing biases, promoting training and knowledge transfer across generations, and supporting health and well-being. Flexible work arrangements also emerge as crucial for fostering an inclusive and productive work culture. In conclusion, the results emphasize that effective age management contributes to sustainable employability by valuing and harnessing the talents of diverse generations of employees, leading to positive outcomes in skill development, engagement, and knowledge sharing.

This buddy pair has created an Instagram page to showcase their digital storytelling efforts.

ASEP, Austria

ASEP has been involved with three different organizations: an Austrian private company specialized in the development and production of high-quality electronics, a private savings bank, and a school.

For the Austrian private company specialized in high-quality electronics, the interviews highlighted a commitment to digital integration, a resilient and dedicated work culture, and a strong desire for innovation and learning. Challenges such as maintaining a balance between innovation and preservation, promoting diversity, improving documentation, and enhancing transparent communication were identified. These insights will serve as a foundation for developing strategies to address these challenges and further promote the organization’s growth.

At the private savings bank, findings emphasized communication issues, the potential of older employees, the significance of recognition, the need for tailored training, and methods to stimulate creativity. Recommendations included workshops, mentoring, coaching, and innovative approaches to address the identified challenges and enhance employee engagement and growth.

At the school, hypotheses exploring collaboration factors revealed uniform strong engagement across all age groups. Some hypotheses were partially supported, such as perceptions of digital skills among younger teachers and slight gender differences in self-evaluations. Positive improvements in skills were noted after the project, both in assessments and skill frameworks. Informal discussions took place outside formal meetings, albeit without precise quantification.

Expertplus, The Netherlands

In the Dutch organization, Expertplus, comprehensive results have been presented. Both for the elderly and the young, self-management has proven crucial for successful aging and professional thriving. In the case of the elderly, this is manifested through goal setting, assuming responsibility, and maintaining a positive attitude amidst changes. Conversely, young individuals need to make choices, be flexible, and attend to both health and career.

Within professional relationships, such as those between executives and clients, knowledge sharing is considered extremely valuable. Executives leverage this for sharing experiences and avoiding repetition of mistakes. On the other hand, clients collaborate positively and openly, even when faced with challenges. A common thread running through all these aspects is the taking of individual responsibility and promoting positive interactions to foster growth. Below, you will find the complete set of results. 

They employed a tool to address successful aging at work: Lego Serious Play. You can find the video about it here.

Click to listen highlighted text!