A project Solutions for Age-friendly Employer (SAFE) receives funding from the Interreg Central Baltic - NDPHS

Project SAFE kick-off, Tallinn, Estonia @TallinnUniversity

A project Solutions for Age-friendly Employer (SAFE) receives funding from the Interreg Central Baltic

17 April, 2024

It is no secret that today people are living longer than ever before, which is one of the greatest health-related achievements. As a result of the demographic change, we have more older adults in the labour market which comes with its advantages but also brings challenges. The Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer (SAFE) project aims at strengthening and improving employment opportunities for older employees (55+), specifically focusing on the health and wellness sectors. It has been observed that among others, these sectors in particular have high numbers of ageing workers.

On April 15 the project consortium from the Tallinn University Haapsalu College (Estonia), a non-profit organization Golden League (Estonia), Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and the NDPHS Secretariat met in Tallinn University to kick off the project and begin the implementation of its activities. The project has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the NDPHS thematic priority areas – active and healthy ageing and mental health. The initiative is a step toward implementing the NDPHS Roadmap to improve the health and well-being of the ageing population.

To support the ageing population in the labour market, the project will develop a SAFE model with best practices for age-friendly employers. During its piloting stage, the model will cultivate an age-friendly work culture and provide employers with an interactive self-assessment. Providing information to companies about age-friendly practices is a first step towards a positive change. The feedback collected from employers and employees will help us to identify challenges and areas for improvement for an age-friendly work environment. The project is planned to last for 3 years and will culminate with a final SAFE model that will be disseminated across borders to key stakeholders, including policymakers, public and private health authorities, and regional health experts.

 

Project partners

 

The project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund through Interreg Central Baltic 2021-2027

Other News
Tiina Tambaum in the “Expert on Air”podcast: Is intergenerational cooperation a salvation?
Our Interreg CB project's SAFE expert Tiina Tambaum joined the "Expert on Air" podcast to discuss how older people can participate more actively in social life. The Tallinn University's podcast provides an overview of the current situation, future trends, and practical solutions that will help improve the inclusion of people in our society regardless of their age. Tiina Tambaum explores questions such as is older people involvement in work, community and political life sufficiently accessible? And if not, what could help them better apply their skills and knowledge and what is societies role in this process?
28 April, 2025
Spring 2025 Newsletter
24 April, 2025
The MentalHealthMatters project culminates in Vilnius
In April, the MentalHealthMatters project held its final event in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the project partners shared key findings from this two-year-long initiative to improve mental health in modern workplaces across the Baltic Sea Region. The event, which coincided with the EUSBSR Policy Area Health Steering Group meeting, showcased the project's achievements in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, and Poland and explored future directions for Baltic Sea Region collaboration in this area.
16 April, 2025
What makes a workplace age friendly, and why should we evaluate it?
The nature of our occupation not only influences our aging process, but our evolving age also impacts the types of jobs we can pursue and how we perform. Our Interreg Central Baltic project SAFE seeks to improve employment opportunities for individuals aged 55 and above and will propose solutions for age friendly practices at work. During a project partner meeting hosted by the NDPHS Secretariat in Stockholm, we finalized the key steps in developing a self-assessment tool that will help companies to determine their age friendliness culture or a lack of it. The online tool will be piloted later this year.
26 March, 2025
World TB Day “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”
Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease. On World TB Day we highlight an ongoing study led by Finnish Lung Health Association (FILHA) in close collaboration with the NDPHS Expert Group on HIV, TB and Associated Infections. The study is a part of the the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services financed project with an aim to increase knowledge and data about the latent TB infection situation in our region, provide evidence-based policy advice, improve cooperation between the countries in Nordic-Baltic region as well as Ukraine, and contribute to the WHO End TB Strategy.
24 March, 2025
Bridging Culture and Health: Collaborative Workshop Shapes Future Policy in Latvia
In the frame of the Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region project, we participated in a workshop with the Ministries of Culture, Health, and Welfare of the Republic of Latvia to assess the current state of intersectoral collaboration between the culture and health. The NDPHS Secretariat director Ülla-Karin Nurm highlighted the role of culture in enhancing people’s health and well-being because culture is more than just an art form.
19 March, 2025
Entering the final quarter of the MentalHealthMatters project
After 1.5 years of in-depth research and collaboration aimed at identifying gaps and needs in occupational safety and health data and practices, the MentalHealthMatters (MHM) project is nearing its end. Recently, in the heart of a cold winter in Trondheim, all the partners came together to discuss the areas most in need of improvement and to finalize the digital mental health support toolkit set for launch this spring. With just a few months to go, the team is also preparing for the project's culmination event.
5 March, 2025
NordAN Open Day in Stockholm explores the growing challenges of alcohol availability
On February 6, NDPHS Secretariat hosted a Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network's event "NordAN Open Day". The event explored concerning policy shifts that could increase alcohol-related harm and identified ways to strengthen Nordic and Baltic cooperation in addressing these issues. Ülla-Karin Nurm, director of the NDPHS Secretariat, contributed to the discussions, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation in public health and alcohol policy.
18 February, 2025
All News >