Age Work Balance European project arises from the deep conviction that integration into sustainable employment of the long-term unemployed aged 50 + will promote the long term financial maintenance of the European social models. This project is based on the belief that active participation combined with adequate job opportunities will allow people to live a longer and healthier life while developing their own potential.
Documenta, European Institute for Training and Development Studies, is actively participating to achieve Age Work Balance project aim, the study of successful practices, variables and networks for the integration of older long-term unemployed into the labour market in metropolitan areas, so these can be implemented and transversally considered within European policies.
In order to reach Age Work Balance project objective the participating organizations are analyzing 7 existing measures located in 7 European cities: Dublin, Tampere, Berlin, Hamburg, Santander, London and Vienna.
The methodology of AWB social experiment is inspired by “quasi-experimental research designs”. The research is developed through peer reviews or workshops with the participation of the local government representatives and main social agents of each territory who exchange their experience on employment matters with AWB partners.
On Thursday May 24th Documenta organized an AWB peer review to study Cantabria local employment policies addressing older long-term unemployed at the Training and Employment Center of the Municipality of Santander (CEFEM). The workshop presentations were carried out by José Manuel Callejo, Deputy Director of Cantabria Employment Service, José Miguel Gómez Head of the Employment Bureau of Development and European Programmes of Cantabria Employment Service; and the Municipality of Santander represented by Gema Díaz Domínguez, Councilor for Employment and Business Development, Samuel del Vigo García, Director of Santander Development Agency and Amaya Fernández, Local Employment and Development Agent . Special emphasis was given to the study of a subsidies program to recruitment called Order EMP/54/2010 Cantabria that was implemented in Cantabria in 2010.
We hope the materials and information produced within Age Work Balance Project will support the development of measures defined by the European policies for the active integration of older long-term unemployed into the labour market.
Additionally Age Work Balance Project aims to increase cooperation among the different local agents (policy makers, NGOs and researchers) while encouraging learning from each other at local and European level.
