Silver Strategies

Results

Many regions in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland face similar labour market challenges: an ageing population, a shortage of skilled workers, and persistent age discrimination in workplaces. Older employees (“silver age” people) often have valuable experience but face difficulties in recruitment, retention, and equal treatment at work. Companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, lack practical tools and knowledge on how to attract, support, and retain silver age employees in a fair and sustainable way.

The project addressed these challenges by:

• developing joint, cross-border solutions for age-inclusive workplaces. Partners worked together to define common strategies for recruiting and retaining silver age employees and to agree on concrete anti-discrimination measures. These measures were introduced in 32 companies across Latvia, Estonia, and Finland;
• executed joint training programme for company managers, HR managers, coaches, and consultants, focusing on practical anti-discrimination strategies;
• ensuring long-term use of the results, as an online Handbook was developed and published, providing clear guidance and examples for companies.

Close cooperation between partners from three countries was essential to the project’s success. Companies from Latvia, Estonia, and Finland were actively involved in planning activities, testing measures, and participating in joint trainings. The project implemented joint training events, expert exchanges, and benchmarking visits to companies in each partner country, enabling mutual learning and sharing of real-life practices.

As a result, companies improved their awareness and skills in age-inclusive employment, while business support organisations strengthened their capacity to advise enterprises. The main beneficiaries are silver age people, whose employment opportunities and working conditions were improved. At the same time, SMEs, larger companies, and the wider labour market benefit from better labour market integration, increased labour mobility, and stronger cross-border cooperation in the region.