Across the NDPHS partner countries, more and more people are working later in life. Due to their chronological age, older workers however often face ageism in the form of prejudice, discrimination, or neglect. The “Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer (SAFE)” project joins four partners from different sectors in the Central Baltic Region countries – Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. The cooperation aims to strengthen and improve employment opportunities for employees aged 55+ specifically focusing on the health and wellness sectors.

Developing competence and learning new things throughout the life course strengthens our workability and improves our overall well-being. In the current labour market more discussion and change are needed to build diverse work communities.  In this project, we support the construction of age-friendly work communities without forgetting the different generations.

This will be achieved through:

• Co-creating a framework for age-appropriate practices at work – SAFE model
• Piloting the SAFE model at workplaces across the partner countries
• Gathering and analysing feedback from employers and employees to identify age-friendly challenges and areas for improvement
• Disseminating training and policy recommendations

The SAFE project is a continuation of the NDPHS and PA Health work on promoting active and healthy ageing and a step towards implementing the NDPHS “Roadmap to improve the health and well-being of the ageing population” in particular in addressing the identified challenges of ageism and inflexibility of labour markets.

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.

Lead partner: Tallinn University Haapsalu College, Estonia
Partners: Golden League (NGO), Estonia; Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland; NDPHS Secretariat, Sweden

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