After conducting our online survey we are now hoping to get a deeper insight into methods and attitudes regarding Intergenerational Learning already processes in SMEs. Is Intergenerational Learning a topic with high significance for SMEs? Are they practicing it already, maybe without being aware of it? Do they support the idea of having a facilitator in the company, who fosters Intergenerational Learning using concrete tools? Answers to those questions can best be revealed when talking to people in person. Therefore the project partners carry out face-2-face interviews with staff managing personnel matters in SMEs. The Austrian partner BFI Tirol developed an interview guide which is now being translated and used by each partner – it contains 6 major topics guiding through the interview like a red thread. With these interviews with at least 40 HR managers we try to find concrete answers and illustrative examples to the following basic questions:
1) How do HR managers deal with the consequences of demographic change?
2) How can the exchange of knowledge and experience between younger and older employees be guided in a better and more focused way for the benefit of the company?
3) Which possible solutions, tools, and/or methods are already practiced or employed in the participating companies?
Afterwards we will summarize all responses to the online and face-2-face surveys and derive conclusions as well as recommendations for the next project outcomes: the training profile (requirements of a facilitator for intergenerational learning) and training modules for an online-learning course incorporating also the facilitators’ toolbox. We will keep you up to date with our results.
