European Social Fund in England

Ageing Population 2010 Conference

Nearly 200 people attended two ESF seminars run during the highly successful Ageing Population 2010 Conference, held at the QEII Centre, in London on 25 February.

The conference featured a keynote speech from Angela Eagle MP, Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society, who outlined how the Government will be ‘building a society for all ages’, highlighting the importance of reforming the welfare and pensions system in order to help achieve this.

The ESF seminars focused on the issues facing older people in the labour market and how the ESF programme is responding to the needs of older workers by adding value to the Government’s employment and skills programmes and by promoting good practice.

Chris Ball, Chief Executive of The Age and Employment Network (TAEN), highlighted the important role that older workers will need to play in the labour market to help the economy as it recovers from the recent economic downturn.

Chris explained how TAEN’s ESF Technical Assistance project is promoting awareness of age-related issues and good practice to all of those involved in delivering ESF projects. He also highlighted how TAEN’s ESF project has been used to raise awareness of staff in Jobcentres who are helping older jobseekers aged 50+.

Peter Clarke, Project manager of the ESF-assisted Flexible Lives for Older Workers (FLOW) project, explained how the project is mainstreaming good practice in helping older workers engage in the care and retail sectors as well as promoting flexible ways of working for companies employing older workers.

The FLOW project, which is funded under the Innovative, Transnational and Mainstreaming strand of the ESF programme and led by Age Concern Milton Keynes, is currently working with partners in Poland, Lithuania and Italy.

More information on the ESF Flexible Lives for Older Workers (FLOW) project