Strengthening the employability of older workers in Denmark

This chapter examines the skills and health factors as well as the working conditions that need to be met with regard to older people in order to make longer working careers a reality. The relationship between skills proficiency and age in what is now a technology-rich environment is scrutinised, as well as perceptions of and motivations for work-related training. The discussion then turns to the importance of health and safety, attention to special needs, and access to flexible working arrangements in preventing attrition of older workers – all reflected in the Senior Starter Kit guide for employers. The roles of unemployment insurance funds (UIFs) and jobcentres are reviewed, and “seniorjobs” and “flexjobs” defined. Main elements of the Koch Commission’s proposed reforms of activation policies to strengthen the focus on enterprises’ labour needs are enumerated. The chapter concludes with an innovation in Denmark that engages the older unemployed themselves in job search: senior networks.