Local economic strategies for ageing labour markets Workshop - 31st March 2015 - OECD (Paris)

1. Regional actions for older workers
in the Veneto region
OECD Conference Centre, Paris
Roberta Fefè, Pietro Checcucci
OECD LEED Expert roundtable on local
economic strategies for ageing labor markets

2. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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INDICATORS
Population 4.926.818
Foreigners 487.030
(9.8% of total population)
Mean age 44.5
Age dependancy
ratio (2013)
54.1
Italy 54.2
EU28 51.1
GDP
GDP per capita
(2012)
146.605 Millions €
(9% of National GDP)
29.531
Veneto Region

3. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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Active enterprises: 403.169 in 2011 (above all manifactouring and construction industry)
About wich 95% SME
Comparing Veneto – Italy
YEAR 2014 (Source: Istat) Veneto ITALY
EMPLOYMENT RATES
Employment rate 15-64 63,7 55,7
Women Employment rate 15-64 54,5 46,8
Employment rate 15 – 24 21,9 15,6
Employment rate 45 – 54 78,3 70,3
Employment rate 55 – 64 45,6 46,2
Women employment rate 55 – 64 35 36,6
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
Unemployment rate 15-64 7,6 12,9
Women unemployment rate 15 - 64 9,9 13,9
Unemployment rate 15-24 27,6 42,7
Unemployment rate 45 – 54 5,3 8,4
Unemployment rate 55 - 64 3,7 5,5
Women unemployment rate 55 - 64 3,5 4,4
VENETO REGION LABOR MARKET

4. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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POINTS OF DEPARTURE
In Italy Clothing footwear and textile sector are characterized by:
High risk of losing
competences and
strategic know how
• High international competition, expecially
about producing models and prototyes
• High competition with multinational business
• Need to introduce innovative approaches and
develop organizational skills to address
foreign customers "outsiders" from the known
territory
• Investing in high quality of products
• Handicraft peculiarities of product:, developed by
technical abilities and competences based on
“contextual experience”
• Fiduciary relationships with clients
• Some duties and tasks can’t be replaced
by industrial automation
The added value of Made in Italy
• Tendency to concentrate strategic skills in the
experience of individuals rather than as a common
heritage of the firm (no knowledge management
systems)
• Shortage of activities that would promote the
socialization of strategic competencies
• Shortage of skilled manpower in the area and a few
of young people willing to work in the field
• High presence of family-run business
• SME with a «simple» organizational profile
• High presence of workers aged 45-55, with
low educational attainment but high length of
service and experience
• These workers hold the core competence in a
“tacit way”
• Few active policies for work-life
balance and to stimulate the job
permanence of older workers
High risk of losing
competences
and
strategic know how

5. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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FLEXIBLY BEYOND PROJECT
EXPERIMENTAL MODELS AND TOOLS TO ORGANIZE JOBS FOR AN EFFECTIVE
EXTENSION OF WORKING LIFE
INNOVATIVE ACTIONS ART. 6 ESF
The main partnership:
POLITECNICO CALZATURIERO - project leader
Formindustria Emilia Romagna - training institution
Cisita of Parma - training institution
For.P.In - training institution
University «BICOCCA» of Milan – Department of Informatics
University of Ferrara – Department of Economics
Unioncamere Eurosportello Veneto- Promotional Institution
CISL/CGIL – Trade Unions
Aim of the project:
To design and test innovative models of business organization and operational
instruments in order to:
 Develop in the manifacturing sector both the business and the value of older workers
 Experiment alternative models of work organization to enhance senior workers and extending their working
life
 Convey cultural changes in business environment
 Experiment models for intergenerational transfer of skills and competences
The client:
SMEs from Footwear and Textile
Sector
More than 200 workers aged 45+
Veneto & Emilia Romagna Regions

6. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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THE CURRENT PROJECT
Analysis of the
production
process
Analysis of the
specific job
position
Collection of
tacit skills
from single
workers
Experience of
the section
head
Point of view
of the fashion
designer
Training of younger
employees
Re-training of other
employees
Vocational Training
within the Polythecnic
Vocational Training for
unemployed younger
workers
Enterprise
Polythecnic
Higher Technical
Schools
Public High
Schools
Cloud knowledge
base available for
teacher and
traininers to
develop courses
Portfolio and CVs
implemented by
students
Mapping of processes
and skills
Inventory of
professional profiles

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strategies for ageing labour markets
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WHAT THEY ACHIEVED
• To promote the intergenerational «transfer» and «creation» of
know how, they did a specific training for older workers as
mentors for apprentices and new hires
Training of trainers and
“side by side” training
Laboratories
School of Competence• At company level, where older worker is recognized as teacher
and trainer
Cell production
• Experimentation of organizational solutions for intergenerational
dialogue (cell production): intergenerational and semiautonomous
working groups.
• Filo di Arianna – to manage & store informations about employee
working life since the moment of hiring
• Case Base Reasoning & PDM (project data management) – to
describe and codify the fases of the production process
Softwares for HRD and
Intergnerational knowledge
management
Job organization
Laboratories
• Business advice to redefine older workers job roles
• Promotion of flexibility models for work-life balance: «In and out
flexibility», bank of hours, «menu»timetable, annual contract for
older workers after their retirement…

8. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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WHY THIS INITIATIVE WAS GOOD
New inputs to the learning activities: new demand for a «contextual» role of the
vocational training and for the development of «organizational competence» in
order to connect tradition and innovation in a business continuity perspective
Mutual trust between local community, institutions and stakeholders
Holistic and «preventive» approach
Win Win strategy in prolonging working life
(envolvement of a lot of stakeholders,
considering together Business’ and workers’ development)
Cultural change in knowledge management
approach: from the controll and ownership of key skills to
their production into the intergenerational exchange
relationships during the working life
Tools to address the recognition of «tacit» skills

9. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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WHAT WE DID NOT ACHIEVE -
METHODOLOGICAL “CHALLENGES”
Sometimes intergenerational diffidence
 need to improve older and younger workers committment to
the intergenerational exchange
 need to develop the role of public employment services
Strong link between local culture and socioeconomical structure
of the Region
 Need to develop training and consulting methodologies focused
not only on technical skills but also on a contextual reflection on
relationships and sensemaking process.

10. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
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Skills required in the perspective
of extending working life within SMEs
(ISFOL 2014)
25.6%
16.9%
9.9%
18.6%
22.8%16.3%
7.9%
21.2%
39.5%
4.9%
2.4%
Base computer skills
Advanced computer skills
Management skills
Team-working
Relational skills
Problem solving
Administration and
accounting
Foreign languages
Technical skills related to
specific tasks
Oral and written
communication skills
Reading comprehension
and base mathematics
2.6%
5.4%
7.1%
28.2%
76.3%
Replacement of older employees
with younger workers
Personnel reduction
Improvement of career guidance
and skills maintanance
Adaptation of the organization of
work
Retention of current employees
Human resources strategies for the
following 3 years – SMEs
(ISFOL 2014)
1.4%
4.4%
7.7%
10-19 20-49 50-249
Number of employees
Concern of 50+ issues within Trade unions
negotiations in the following 3 years
(ISFOL 2014)

11. OECD LEED Expert roundtable on Local economic
strategies for ageing labour markets
LET’S TALK TOGETHER
Thank you for your attention!
ISFOL
r.fefe@isfol.it
p.checcucci@isfol.it
ISFOL – Corso d’Italia, 33
00198 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 85.447.119 - 466
Fax: +39 06 85.44.71.28
www.isfol.it
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Politecnico Calzaturiero
Stefano Miotto
Stefano.Miotto@siav.net
info@politecnicocalzaturiero.it
Mauro Tescaro
m.tescaro@politecnicocalzaturiero.it
www.politecnicocalzaturiero.it