Workshop 08C36 Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008 AGE MANAGEMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF CHANGE.

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

AGE MANAGEMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF AGE MANAGEMENT AS AN ELEMENT OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN AN AGEING INDUSTRY CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN AN AGEING INDUSTRY

Dr. G. Andronikos, Technical Manager, Navigator DP

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

AGE MANAGEMENT IN GREECE

CHANGE MANAGMT & AGE MANAGMT IN THE GREEK SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

•Lack of targeted or integrated policies•Very few practices or systems on sectoral/enterprise

level•Scenarios for the country are very unfavorable: rise of

55+ up to 32.54% by 2010

Shipbuilding suffers a severe, long-term crisis due to currency balance, stifling competition, high cost, non-flexible industrial relations, ageing HR, lack of State policies, etc.

Employment is decreased and workforce needs to adapt their skills and competences to the changes.

The few big enterprises still operating, struggle to improve competitiveness and establish a niche in the market.

Urgent need for restructuring, i.e. adapting internal environment and introducing modern business structures.

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

WHO WE ARE

NAVIGATOR DP:

Managmt of Changes in Shipbuilding through workers’ and companies’ learning

(11 partners managed by Neorion SY)

Upgrading of Organizational Culture & Communication in Shipyards

Horizontal learning activities to enhance HR’s basic and social skills – focus is on mid managers & ageing front-line workers

Organizational knowledge managmt to record, transfer & exploit mainly tacit (informal) experience & knowledge

Support centre for shipyard workers

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

KEY MESSAGES

Key message 1: Successful project requires thorough target group

needs analysis and tailored solutions

Design balanced between essential principles & being flexible as to new needs & challenges: target-group needs analysis, business plan & code of practice early in the design stage - service methodology & operational tools in hand before operation.

Innovative solutions to overcome organizational barriers: industrial psychology approach to propose integrated change managemt strategy & focused plan of actions, outreach approach directly to target-group, setting-up 6 work groups & assignment of concrete tasks

Commitment & dedication of project partners: Setting-up a board, including also other players outside DP (municipality, public employment service, regional commerce chamber).

Regional policies should evaluate effectiveness and foster viability, and a structure should work to become self-financed by deploying new, added-value services.

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

KEY MESSAGES

Key message 2: Good practices at regional level require active

engagement of all local players

Open and sincere social dialogue is required before any technical solution: wide spectrum of players involved, “maturization” period dedicated to dialogue before actual start-up

Good practices at regional level require activation of all local players, especially those with political authority: it results with a situation where all are mutually committed and is hard for one to step back.

Well planned, strong and consistent partnership & networking are critical: Exchanging experiences saves effort, money & time, and provides ideas with added value potential – needs and services are scattered, so if one is to provide support services one has to built and operate in an open network system.

Surprisingly often, front-line workers are more open to changes than mid-level employees.

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

KEY MESSAGES

Key message 3: Holistic blend of services (a)

Awareness-raising activities: cascade campaigns to ensure all staff become aware of the services offered by the centre, and b) of other relevant activities of NAVIGATOR

Information: vocational training & employment opportunities, entrepreneurship development, pension, insurance, guidance and processing of paperwork for public services, etc

Group support & counseling Individual support & counseling for employees, family

members and retired employees Promotion & Dissemination: web site, leaflets, brochures, etc Networking: internal (e.g. facilitators’ network, football

tournament, entertainment night, chess contest, etc) & external (e.g. transnational cooperation EQUAL LIGHTHOUSE, national thematic group of EQUAL, local agencies and public services, other relevant structures, etc)

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

KEY MESSAGES

Distribution of beneficiaries per core activity

64%10%

22%

4%

Awareness-raising

Information

Group support

Individual support

Key message 3: Holistic blend of services (b)

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

FEEDBACK ON THE SUPPORT CENTRE

“We are very pleased with the results of the support centre in Syros and we start to make a similar one in the Elefsis shipyard”

N. Tavoularis, President of Neorion Holding SA

“I hope this centre will keep up. I don’t know where I could go if you close down”

Employee, beneficiary of the center

“It’s amazing. I could not imagine that such a centre in a shipyard could offer psychological support services. We hadn’t thought of it until now”

Representative of the Irish DP - transnational cooperation EQUAL LIGHTHOUSE

“We are aware of the good work being done in Neorion and we intend to support the centre’s viability by any possible means”

Ch. Kokkinos, General Secretary of the South Aegean Region

Workshop 08C36 “Age Management: Regional responses to the Demographic challenge”

Open Days 2008, Brussels, Oct. 8, 2008

Thank you all for your patience

www.ploigos-equal.net, [email protected]

kentro.ploigos-equal.net, [email protected]

Tel. +30 22810 82555Fax +30 22810 80939