AGE WORKS - HOW THE NORTH WEST OF ENGLAND IS EMBRACING DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE

NW DEMOGRAPHIC POSITION ENGLAND’S NORTH WEST NW DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES –FALL IN YEARS & YEARS AGE GROUP – LOWER BIRTH RATE/OUT MIGRATION –OLDER AGE COHORT INCREASE – YEARS 7%, YEARS 26% & 75+ YEARS 47% –CURRENTLY ONLY 68% /64 YEARS & 8% OVER RETIREMENT AGE ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE

STRATEGIC DIMENSION STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS –REGIONAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY AGEING TOPIC PAPER –REGIONAL EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY STRATEGY –REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGY –NW REGIONAL EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK –AGE CONCERN REPORT “AN AGEING POPULATION – IMPACTS FOR THE NORTHWEST” –GOVERNMENT STRATEGY – “MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF AGEING IN THE 21 ST CENTURY” (APRIL 2005

MAIN DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES FOR THE NORTH WEST WORKFORCE –ENCOURAGE RE-ENTRY OR STAYING ON IN LABOUR MARKET –FLEXIBLE WORKING SKILLS LEVELS –UPDATING SKILLS –ENCOURAGE EMPLOYERS TO TRAIN OLDER WORKERS EMPLOYER BUSINESS CASE –AGE DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION –HARNESSING EXPERIENCE AND MATURITY –NEW MARKETS & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY –SILVER ENTREPRENEURS - BUSINESS START UP –INDEPENDENCE & FLEXIBILITY FINANCIAL VIABILITY –FEMALE PENSION CHANGES –POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION

MAIN DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUES FOR THE NORTH WEST (continued) HEALTH –NEED FOR WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY –REQUIREMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES HOUSING –APPROPRIATE –SAFE TRANSPORT –COST –ACCESSIBILITY ICT DEVELOPMENT –TO ASSIST INDEPENDENT LIVING –HOME WORKING –LEISURE – SILVER SURFERS

NORTH WEST ACTION - 50:50 VISION REGIONAL FORUM ON AGEING PARTNERSHIP OF PUBLIC, VOLUNTARY AND PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS CHAIRED BY NORTH WEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY STARTED IN 2003 TO RAISE AWARENESS KEY PRIORITIES BUSINESS PLAN

NORTH WEST ACTION - EUROPEAN NETWORK ON AGEING EUROPEAN NETWORK ON AGEING EC COMMUNICATION ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE –CONTRIBUTED TO A EUROPEAN NETWORK POSITION PAPER – “FACING DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AS A REGIONAL CHALLENGE” –GIVEN TO COMMISSIONER SPIDLA (EMPLOYMENT & SOCIAL AFFAIRS) AT FIRST FORUM ON EUROPE’S DEMOGRAPHIC FUTURE – OCTOBER 2006

NORTH WEST ACTION - OTHER REGIONAL EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY FORUM NORTH WEST BRUSSELS OFFICE –SILVER ECONOMY NETWORK –CONTRIBUTION TO COR OPINION “DEMOGRAPHIC FUTURE OF EUROPE” STRUCTURAL FUNDS –CROSS CUTTING THEMES LINKED TO REGIONAL POLICY –REGIONS FOR ECONOMIC CHANGE FAST TRACK INITIATIVE –EQUAL LESSONS

SUMMARY TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES –AGEPROOF POLICY DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES AND MINIMISE THREATS –INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS PARTNERSHIP WORKING –REGIONAL/NATIONAL/EUROPEAN

SUMMARY (continued) DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGE GROUPS ENABLE OLDER PEOPLE TO –PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN SOCIETY –KEEP INDEPENDENT –PARTICIPATE IN DECISION MAKING –HAVE GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE