Foundation seminar series 2014, 2nd session - Sustainable work throughout the life course: Devising a long term strategy for inclusion and competitiveness

2nd session: 6 - 7 November 2014, Leuven, Belgium

Venue: The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe, Janseniusstraat 1, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Background

The Europe 2020 strategy is the EU’s growth strategy for the coming decade. As well as overcoming the crisis, Europe 2020 is about addressing shortcomings in Europe’s growth model and creating the right conditions for smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive growth.

Smart growth is one of the priority areas of the Europe 2020 strategy. This requires re-thinking and discovering new solutions for working conditions and career paths that help workers to retain their physical and mental health – as well as motivation and productivity – throughout an extended working life.

It includes policies related to working conditions throughout the life course as well as policies in a broader context, including infrastructure (e.g. care services), which facilitate employment for men and women of all ages and circumstances. Among others, jointly with public authorities, the social partners organisations’ contributions devising such policies and actions are essential for their implementation and success.

Objectives of the seminar

The Foundation Seminar Series (FFS) is a seminar organised over two, two-day sessions. Its objective is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge by allowing exchange of national policies and practices between the participating countries. Fostering the debate at national level, through tripartite discussions, is a second objective. Facilitating networking at national as well as at European level is a further aim of the FSS.

The first session in May 2014 prepares the ground by monitoring, discussing, and identifying the barriers to and impacts of sustainable work throughout the life course. It  also looks at and discuss different types of practices of sustainable work.

The second session, within the framework provided by the first session, asks participants to present and discuss initiatives adopted at national, sectoral and company level that are aimed at promoting inclusion and competitiveness through the introduction of sustainable work practices at company level.

The 2014 FSS sessions offer the participants a dual benefit: first of all, providing the opportunity to use already available Eurofound data; secondly and more specifically, to contribute to a 'research in progress' in the area of sustainable work. The active involvement of tripartite delegates/practitioners from the participating countries, offers the unique opportunity to contribute to Eurofound’s work in progress through an 'action research' / 'action learning' mode.

More specifically, the 2014 FSS will enable participants to discuss the merits of sustainable work by looking into, among others, the following issues:

• What conditions need to be fulfilled if we expect working life to be extended and if workers have to stay in employment longer?

• What can be done to ensure that people with different needs and capabilities can participate in the labour market and that high employment rates are achieved and maintained?

• What policies can help to ensure that companies can recruit and retain motivated and productive workers in sufficient numbers, in order to promote their competitiveness?

National tripartite delegations are requested to participate in the whole seminar (both sessions). The nomination of national experts, representatives of Trade Unions, Employers’ organisations and Governments, is carried out with the assistance of the European Foundation’s Governing Board members.

Photos of the event