Abstract:

The development of the professional and social potential of older people has become the subject of intense deliberations in recent decades. These discussions are based on dynamically developing demographic transformations leading to change in the age structure and aging of labor resources. This raises the need to focus on the elderly population in the context of raising rates of professional activity and employment. The factor supporting the improvement of these indicators are inreasing qualifications through further education.

The aim of this article is to determine the educational activity of older people, taking into account various forms and directions of education. The author tries to determine the impact of raising qualifications for the development of the silver economy. To achieve the goal of the work, Eurostat data regarding the situation in Poland and Spain against the EU average are used.

It is worth noting that continuing education dictated by the requirements of the labor market, in the case of older people, brings additional benefits. On the one hand, participation in educational programs and projects gives a sense of social inclusion, and on the other hand, learning helps to acquire skills of using modern devices to preserve the independence of older people. Encouraging older people to greater learning mobility should be treated as one of possible ways to increase professional activity, but also as a method of combating common age-based stereotypes and biases.