Silver Code – New opportunities among generations at EU level

Who says that technology, ICT, and digital competences are exclusive to young people? Those matters are not only accessible to every age group, but they can also be very helpful and highly educational even for the elderly.

And unlike what one might commonly think, young and elder people may mutually benefit from an integration of generations within this subject.

Four years ago – May 2014 – the M.Sc. (Master of Science) Mateja Berčan wrote: “Intergenerational integration is an ideal form of achieving intergenerational solidarity. […] The elderly are able to experience their lives as something of value, as does the fact that the younger generation takes their life experiences seriously and listens to them. The young people who socialise with other generations have a more positive view on aging and gain role model for their own old age.”¹

Youngsters and elderly could mutually benefit from the interconnection of their generations. Taking this process at the ‘labour market’ level, the intergenerational integration may bring several hard and soft skills, in terms of values, attitudes, capacities, and competences. Without much chance to argue, one might say that these generations are complementary, and the scope of optimisation and innovation dramatically increases its range.

Innovation has been just mentioned. It’s one of the key words that basically goes along with all the European projects connected to education and training. Lately, digital skills are exponentially intertwined with both the education and labour realities.

Speaking of those realities, here is SILVER CODE. It is a European project whose consortium gathers different countries; being a partner of it, Eurocrea Merchant actively contributes to its development, aimed at concretely enhancing the digital skills of the ‘third age’. An exchange of ideas and approaches with a young and dynamic generation can notably improve the impact and the objectives that the partnership has set with this project.

If you have a successful story about this topic – or ‘best practice’ as the jargon provides – don’t hesitate to contact the responsible of the project at the email address elisa.chiesaATeurocreamerchant.it.

In any case, stay tuned and don’t miss any update of our news: you will always find a starting point for discussion and brainstorming insights and issues at European level.

sources: Berčan, Mateja. 2014. The importance of intergenerational integration and communication on forming the view of quality aging. Media, culture and public relations. 5, 2014, 2, 231-240