no entrepreneurial skills for old men: a call for intergenerational learning teresa almeida pinto...

No entrepreneurial skills for old men: a call for

Intergenerational Learning

Teresa Almeida Pinto

Association VIDA. Intergenerational Valorisation and Active Development

Learning later in life – Uncovering the potential of investing in an ageing workforce

21-22 September – 2011, Brussels

1. Too old to be an entrepreneur?

2. Why fuelling entrepreneurial mindsets of older people?

3. Attractive methods for adult education: true or myth?

4. Intergenerational Learning: do we need such discipline?

5. Final Remarks

No entrepreneurial skills for old men: a call for Intergenerational Learning

1. Too old to be an

entrepreneur?


Some people have a job for life


Some people have a temporary job


In some situations was preferable if they retired


How old is “too old” for the job?


How old is “too old” to

be an entrepreneur?


The myth: entrepreneurship is a challenge to young people.

Seniors: less productive less innovative and creative less ambitious and motivated health decline + low levels of energy

associated to: lower level of intellectual activity lower levels of formal qualifications lack of skills, especially those linked to ICT


“Grey entrepreneurs are more experienced, possess more social, human and financial capital, have less risks at this stage of their lives in contrast to younger people”

Suresh et all (2006) The Grey Entrepreneurs in UK


“ The very fact of their longerexperience and maturity can make older men and women more suitable candidates for

self-employment than younger people”

Suresh et all (2006) The Grey Entrepreneurs in UK


In USA 21% of all working persons over 65 years old

were self employed, compared to just 11% in the age 45-54 group, and 8% amongst 25-34 year

olds. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002).


The Barclays Bank research (2001) shows in the UK that companies started by older people tend to have a 70% chance of surviving the crucial first 5 years compared with 28% for companies started by younger people



Source: GEM Adult Population Survey, 2007

In New Zealand and Iceland Early-Stage

Entrepreneurial Activity rates are are higher

among older adults of working age than

among younger adults



Not all seniors can or wish

become entrepreneurs.


EU is not fully exploiting its entrepreneurial potential and it is failing to encourage enough people to become an entrepreneur

European Commission, 2004


Europe is supporting young "entrepreneurs for growth and competitiveness" ... But Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity for people 18-34 years still below 10%

GEM Report, 2007


“Help young and old people who wish to create an intergenerational business together”

“calls for specific initiatives to promote mixed-age teams (...) companies should be supported and that outstanding projects should receive recognition”

European Parliament , 2010

1. Too old to be an entrepreneur?

In resume:

Age should not be seam as an excuse: In some geographic regions young people are less entrepreneurial than mature or older people;

Senior and integenerational entrepreneurship should be encouraged


2. Why fuelling entrepreneurial

mindsets of older people?



The sense of initiative and entrepreneurship it’s one of the eight key-competencies to lifelong learning


Entrepreneurship encompasses not only the employment field but also the personal fulfilment and social life


Due to their age, mature and older do not benefit from school education

to “catalyse” their entrepreneurial

behaviour.


Almost all programs to foster entrepreneurship are target to young people, what would be the results if they also target mature and older people?


If EU aims to be as economic competitive as solider, mature and older people cannot be let aside of the effort of entrepreneurial programs.


Education and Train can: Promote senior and intergenerational entrepreneurship;

Better working age management;

Improve intergenerational skills transfer at work place;

Educate about familiar business transition.


•What do we know about senior and intergenerational entrepreneurship?

• How to motivate different generations & trigger their entrepreneurial will?

• What can be the role of entrepreneurial education in promotion of active ageing and successful working lives?


• There are entrepreneurial programmes or related learning activities to mature and older adults?

• How to design effective training modules to the new emerging needs of an ageing working force?

• How to design successful intergenerational learning programs at workplace?

2. Why fuelling entrepreneurial mindsets of older people?

In resume:

YES, we need to foster senior and intergenerational entrepreneurship, namely through education and training, but this field it still undertheorized and experienced


3. Attractive methods for

adult education:

true or myth?



It’s becoming increasingly evident that flexible, non-formal and informal learning can be more attractive and successful, to mature and older people


Member States should establish “more flexible learning pathways and make learning more attractive in general — including through the development of new forms of learning”

Council, 2009


Self-direct learningGuidance Mentoring Coaching

Intergerational learning.


self-directed learners have: • high degree of creativity, • problem solving ability, • ability to deal with change, one might suggest a linkage between these abilities and successful new venture initiation and development

Guglielmino & Klatt,1993


Project PALADIN: Promoting Active Learning and Ageing of Disadvantage Seniors

www.projectpaladin.eu


Often Guidance | Mentoring | Coaching

is based on intergenerational learning


“Mentoring between new and experienced entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways of equipping novice entrepreneurs”

“Schools, authorities and project promoters should seek to tap into the willingness of many experienced and/or retired entrepreneurs to volunteer their time to act as a role model or mentor”

Cedefop, 2011


“there is a need to adjust education and training systems and curricula for training older workers, through different learning approaches (...) for example, facilitating elderly workers to coach young workers and students"

OCDE, 2011


“EU should strengthen intergenerational solidarity by increasing the awareness of the contribution made by the elderly people to the society, and by developing entrepreneur attitudes among the elderly which could help to mobilise the full potential of the ageing cohorts.”

Kureka & Rachwa, 2011


Intergenerational Learning to: Promote senior and intergenerational entrepreneurship;

Better working age management;

Improve intergenerational skills transfer at work place;

Educate about familiar business transition.

4.

Intergenerational Learning: do we

need such discipline?


Intergenerational learning is the oldest method of learning.

Why we need to promote it now?

Russell: Good afternoon. Are you in need of any assistance today, sir? Carl Fredricksen: No.

Russell: I could help you cross the street. Carl Fredricksen: No.

Russell: I could help you cross your yard. Carl Fredricksen: No.

Russell: I could help you cross your porch. Carl Fredricksen: No!

Before Now

generations are no longer what they used to be

“New” Grannies

Before Now

“New” Grandchildren

Before Now

Now

“New” families

In an ageing society, professionals need to learn how to deal with

older people needs & with “new generations”

“a new paradigm of learning should be accompanied by new and emergent professions.

Future teachers/trainers in adult learning should learn how to address different generations and become capable of facilitating learning throughout the whole of the life course”

DG Education, 2011


“training establishments and especially higher education institutions should develop academic curricula enabling future professionals to deal with an ever growing proportion of older people in societ.”

European Commission, 2011


Education systems remain very fragmented, by age and by other divisions, and it is necessary to take full advantage of the current paradigm that values lifelong learning and life-wide learning

A new academic discipline to provide basic skills &

address the current and future reality

Intergenerational learning

Gerontogogy

Generationology (?)

Pedagogy

Andragogy

Intergenerational Learning A New Academic Discipline


Intergenerational Learning

It’s urgent to define standards, equalize terms, identify and elect methods, procedures,

and above all, re-organize the concept and the model

4. Intergenerational Learning: do we need such discipline?

In resume:

To promote an intergenerational

discipline, it’s in line with the new social trends for

the coming decades



5. Final Remarks

Entrepreneurial skills, which can be taught at any age, are not usually included in curricula for older people.


Intergenerational learning • Promote new entrepreneurial business,

• Better matching between novice entrepreneurs and the old ones that are retiring without successors,

• More successful age management and knowledge at work place

We need to promote Intergenerational

Learning to rehabilitate intergenerational

solidarity


Thank You!

Teresa Almeida Pinto

[email protected]

Association VIDA. Intergenerational Valorisation and Active Development

no entrepreneurial skills for old men: a call for intergenerational learning teresa almeida pinto...

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