BEST AGERS ACTIVATION TOOLBOX – RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH

Abstract

In recent years, the fact to make more use of the knowledge and expertise of
people aged 55+ years – called “Best Agers” – has been increasingly recognized.
The usage of these skills is becoming more and more important. Due to this finding, the number of projects concerning Best Agers as the target group (supported
by different financial means providers) has risen in the early past.
In contrast, deficits are observed in how the use of this knowledge is managed. Therefore, to organize this process more professionally and offer motivated
Best Agers the opportunity to pass on their knowledge must be of higher importance. This would ensure quality and sustainability in this area.
In the Strategic Baltic Sea Region project “Best Agers” the research association Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was responsible for development of “Best
Ager Activation Toolbox”. The planned toolbox should help:
— to identify Best Agers who possess skills and knowledge needed and get in
contact with them;
— to motivate them to participate in intergenerational transfer of human capital;
— to motivate them to become entrepreneurs themselves;
— to acquire Best Agers as volunteers and “social entrepreneurs”;
— to complement their existing skills with those needed to contribute to the intergenerational transfer or human capit. Consequently, on the one hand this toolbox is intended for use in institutions and organizations which already offer opportunities for voluntary work, to accelerate the addition of further volunteers and/or give even better support to those already active, e.g. with further training opportunities. On the other, it will assist institutions without volunteer workers in entering in this field and provide a suitable basic toolkit for conceptualizing such opportunities and gaining volunteers.