© TBS-NRW 2007 Dr. Urs Peter Ruf UIC 24. September 2007 Paris Promoting employability - enhancing the dynamics of enterprises' transformation processes by employee participation

© TBS-NRW TBS NRW all lines of business 300 consultancies In enterprises per year joint action with the land’s labour policy collaboration with institutions and organizations Transfer science - enterprise in co-operation with the unions down to earth, qualified and interdisciplinary on the spot support all over North-Rhine Westfalia Solutions provided by 25 consultants Mission: Promotion of the socially balanced structural transformation in NRW by means of improved worker’s participation Responsible Body: Ministry of labour, health and social welfare NRW The unions in NRW (DGB NRW)

© TBS-NRW The concept of employability Meeting challenges – securing and promoting opportunities New competencies Ability to keep up with new requirementsEconomic competition Competencies of the self and methods Globalisation Coping with changes Modernisation New requirements

© TBS-NRW The concept employability A new situation: Concepts used so far to secure employment reveal to be limited with regard to the increasing dynamics of employment New concepts facing these demands have to combine both dynamics and flexibility with new schemes and measures providing security and enabling to take up challenges Employability – a major element of the EU employment strategy and labour policy of the German Bundesland Northrhine- Westfalia (NRW) – provides assets to cope with these challenges

© TBS-NRW The concept of employability What makes up employability? What does employability result in?

© TBS-NRW 2007 The concept of employability Employability – a definition Employability means the capacity to take part in economic and social life Other definitions: –the capacity to secure and keep employment (Commission of the EU, Brussels 2000) –The labour market fitness of an individual‘s work ability 6

© TBS-NRW 2007 Dr. Urs Peter Ruf7 Promoting employability – enhancing capacity for change Environment Competitors Suppliers Customers State Employees Labour market Society Current strategies for competitiveness have to be revisited in order to better respond to major challenges such as demographic change Technology Enterprise Management

© TBS-NRW The concept of employability Detecting and valorising Potentials Defining goals Surmounting limits Creating and taking on opportunities Maintaining and enhancing health Enterprises´employability Individual employability Employability as a conceptual framework for enterprises generates and requires orientation

© TBS-NRW Major dimension of employability Ability to act adequately Life-long learning and its prerequisites Involvement, networking, motivation Definition and achievement of goals A precondition to managing change Basis of sustainable work-ability Competence Capability to learn Integration (Self-)Management Responsibility Health

© TBS-NRW Linking and developing potentials of employees and enterprises Competence Common responsibility Health Integration LearningQualification Self-management Know-howInnovation Integration Prevention Work organisation

© TBS-NRW Shaping employability as a joint field for action of enterprises and employees “Everybody has to bear responsibility for himself” “Enterprises bear responsibility within enterprises” Limiting effects Limiting effects Unfolding dynamics Common Responsibility “The state/ the government bears the responsibility outside the Enterprises”

© TBS-NRW The concept of employability Enterprises benefit from employees, which –understand change as opportunity –are involved in innovation –dispose of know-how and prerequisites for tomorrow’s jobs Employees benefit from enterprises and jobs, which –enlarge competencies and qualifications –ere engaged in health prevention –promote the individual’s capacities –allow for different models of work-life-balance Enhancing employability Benefits for employees and enterprises

© TBS-NRW Effects of increased employability The task: „taking a new line of production into action“ CompetenceHealth Capability to learn Integration (Self)- Management Responsibility Employability Enriches problem-centred solutions in enterprises

© TBS-NRW Effects of increased employability CompetenceHealth Capability to learn Integration (Self)- Management Responsibility Employability Systematically evaluates and unravels potentials Potentials

© TBS-NRW Implementing employability Participation – a key factor supporting change: Makes potentials accessible Increases dynamics and flexibility Encourages readiness for change Creates confidence Invokes a common responsibility Increases sustainability Working councels Employees Enterprises

© TBS-NRW Evaluating employability SelfCheckEnterpriseCheck Competence Health Responsibility Capability to learn (Self-)Management Integration

© TBS-NRW 2007 Demographic change and aging workforce: Ratio of population aged 65 and over to the total population 17 Extracted from OECD Factbook 2007: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics - ISBN X - © OECD 2007

© TBS-NRW 2007 Dr. Urs Peter Ruf18 Demographic change Employability – a strategic means to meet the challenges of demographic change Δ targeted / actual state Competence Health Learning capacity Integration (Self-)Management Responsibility Actual need for action Identified need for a detailed evaluation of challenges by demographic change Scenarios on the evolution of challenges to the workforce Background information to optimize strategy and action 0 Employability EnterpriseEmployees

© TBS-NRW Evaluating employability EnterpriseCheck Employability (“UnternehmensCheck”) –Questionnaire-based systematic analysis of enterprises´ potentials based on six dimensions of employability –Unravels fields for action to enhance employability –Highlights need for action resulting of demographic change –Can be used by consultants and key actors in enterprises –Conceptualised and developed for practice use –Availability: online and free of charge

© TBS-NRW Evaluating employability SelfCheck Employability (“SelbstCheck”) –Questionnaire-based systematic self-assessment of potentials by six dimensions of employability –Designed for use by people holding a job or with experience in work life –Automated functionality presenting results and introducing to the development of measures and goals –Highlights need for action resulting of demographic change –Allowing for the analysis of group data –Conceptualised and developed for practice use –Availability: online and free of charge

© TBS-NRW Thank you for your attention! Dr. Urs Peter Ruf Information and download at: