17 percent of Europeans consider going abroad to find a new workplace. Half of those wish to realize this plan within the next five years. And how about the retired ones? Do our parents, grandparents also travel, looking for a job abroad?
There is a significant difference between the level of life of people aged over 60 in Western and Eastern Europe. The first ones enjoy the fruits of their professional career. The other ones need to struggle each day for a worthy life. For example, German seniors mainly travel around Europe to do the sightseeing and rest.
How about the East? Some of the most active East-European nations are Romanians, Bulgarians, Poles and Slovaks. The number of Poles who have stayed abroad for at least two months tripled from the beginning of 2004 to the beginning of 2007, from around 180 thousands to around 540 thousands. How many of them were retired? Not many. Mobile citizens aged over 60 are mostly tourists.
The main motivating factor for seniors from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Slovakia is family rather than job opportunities. Young, mobile people of the productive age invite not only their parents, but also grandparents, who want to help their working children and raise the grandchildren. That is often a place where for the first time they have contact with a foreign language and break not only linguistic, but also cultural barriers.
In Poland a growing engagement of people aged over 60 in personal development can be observed. Polish pensioners are quite active and their engagement in programs supporting the potential of elderly people on the labour market or eliminating social exclusion is growing. The 60+ people gather around organizations, associations and Third Age Universities that motivate elderly people to spend their time in a creative way. It must be appreciated but the unavoidable aging of the European society has serious concequences.
During the lifetime of one generation (30 years) the life expectancy increases by about 10 years. Today in the European Union 35 people out of 100 are more than 60 years old. By 2050 there will be 73 such citizens out of 100. If the Member States do not appreciate the potential of elderly people, the social security system will experience a great pressure and because of the unsufficient migration level in 2050 we may be short of workers!
It seems that for the generation of 20, 30 and 40+ year olds the vision of a calm old age is not very bright. That is why it is so important to support the 60+ generation in its activities and engagement for greater mobility within the Community.
To enable the older generation to learn foreign languages and become familiar with the cultures of neighbouring states that often seem to be quite distant, the inventors of the e-bridge2mobility project take also this target group into account. The 60+ generation that is sometimes underestimated, has a great potential. It only needs some support to move freely and look for job opportunities within the Union. If Europe encourages its aging, but still active
