Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Volume 54 - Number 2 - July 2014 - Older Workers Careers Guidance in Spain

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

The paper examines whether actions and methods in careers guidance for older workers exist in Spain and how such guidance is delivered. It draws on visits to 52 Spanish trade-union websites in 2010 and analyzes findings from 131 questionnaires from 48 employer organizations, 41 trade unions, and 28 public employment services. The study uses macro and micro perspectives to identify who benefits most. Results indicate a need to improve coordination, publicity, and accessibility of existing services, with low usage among workers aged 50–55.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Some progress in Spanish employment policy for older workers

Actions and methods in careers guidance for older workers in Spain

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 54, Number 2, July 2014 Do actions and methods in guidance for older workers exist in Spain? María José López Sánchez and José Antonio Belso Martínez Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche Older people suffer discrimination in the labour market, in that their chances offinding employment if they lose their jobs are small, and the longer someone is out of the labour market, the harder it is to return. Although they often do possess the technical and transferrable skills required, these are not always recognised. Those who remain in work also encounter discrimination. They are unlikely to receive ongoing training and encouragement for career development, especially if their existing skills and qualifications are at a low level. This paper is focusing on the Spanish situation, looking at the actions and methods in careers guidance for older workers. For this purpose 52 websites of Spanish trade unions were visited during 2010. Using the main findings of 131 questionnaires from 48 employers’organisations, 41 trade unions and 28 public employment services from across the country, we look at guidance from a macro and micro perspective: how guidance is provided and who the main beneficiaries are. 146 María José López Sánchez & José Antonio Belso Martínez We conclude that in the Spanish labour context, there is a specific need to improve the coordination and effective publicity regarding existing guidance services and their accessibility. Evidence shows that those who make least use of the careers guidance services are the older workers aged 50 to 55 years, and no special attention is given to meeting their needs. Keywords: Old workers, careers guidance, active labour market policies, social partners, Spain Introduction Guidance, as one of the active labour market policy (OECD 1993) isnot only an individual practice (Clayton et al. 2007) . It is also more than a “face-to-face interview”(Plant 2001) and in 1992 the Standing Conference of Associations for Guidance in Educational Settings (SCAGES 1992) differentiated up to eleven activities related to guidance. Five more have since been added (Ford 2001, 2002, 2007) . It is therefore pertinent to refer to a broad concept of guidance, including one-to-one interviews, group sessions, self-help information, advocacy, referral, counselling, advice, etc, aimed at a varied group that includes young people searching for their first job, long-term unemployed older people, active workers who want a change of professional career, etc. Older workers are a high risk group in terms of discrimination and social exclusion (Bendick Jr. et al. 1997; Haight 2003; Clayton et al. 2007) . Employers are often reluctant to hire older workers or to retain them as their views of this collective are based on negative stereotypes all over the world (Gilsdorf, 1992, Hively 2004; Kirk and Belovics 2005) . Lundberg and Marshallsay (2007) concluded in a study about older workers’ perspectives in South Australia that ‘a substantial majority of older workers believe that older workers face discrimination in the workforce, but less of them report discriminatory attitudes from their colleges and employers. In the case ofolder people, the holistic approach of guidance can have a special added value (Sultana 2004; Clayton et al. 2007) . This is true to Do actions and methods in guidance for older workers exist in Spain? 147 the extent in which it helps them to rejoin employment, to enter the job market for the first time at an advanced age, to change their professional career and to retain workers about to undergo early retirement. In some cases, the Third Age is defined as 50 or more, or even as low as over 45. At the European Union, when talking about older workers, we are referring to those over 55. Over 45 years is commonly used in the case of Spanish labour market. This is also common in other Mediterranean countries like Italy and France (Clayton

FAQs

What is the main focus of the paper on older workers in Spain?

It focuses on actions and methods in careers guidance for older workers in the Spanish labour context, including how guidance is provided and who benefits.

What data sources does the study use?

It uses visits to 52 Spanish trade-union websites in 2010 and analyzes 131 questionnaires from 48 employer organizations, 41 trade unions, and 28 public employment services.

What conclusion does the paper reach about careers guidance services for older workers?

It concludes there is a specific need to improve coordination and effective publicity, accessibility of existing services, and that least use comes from older workers aged 50 to 55.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine