The ageing of Europe is a demographic phenomenon in Europe characterised by a decrease in fertility, a decrease in mortality rate, and a higher life expectancy among European populations. in a report in 2006 the IMF projected that the ratio of retirees to workers in Europe will double to 0.54 by 2050 (from four workers per retiree to two workers per retiree). The size of the aged population is expected to grow not only in relative but also in absolute terms with the number of Europeans aged 80 and over expected to nearly triple, rising from 18 million in 2004 to approximately 51 million in 2051 (eurostat). In the context of this demographic change there is no doubt that our social security systems’ capacity to maintain today’s standard of living for future generations of older people will be severely challenged. For many individual Europeans the term retirement equates to living in poverty, with the risk of poverty of persons over the age of 65 increased by one third against national averages in most countries.

In a report published by the Brookings Institution think tank, the median age in Europe is predicted to increase from 37.7 years old in 2003 to 52.3 years old by 2050 while the median age of Americans will rise to only 35.4 years old. The Economic Policy Committee and the European Commission issued a report in 2006 estimating the working age population in the EU will decrease by 48 million, a 16% reduction, between 2010 and 2050, while the elderly population will increase by 58 million, a gain of 77%. The OECD estimates that only 39% of Europeans between the ages of 55 to 65 work. If the prediction for Europe's rising median age is correct, Europe's economic output could radically decrease over the 30 years.

To achieve more sustainable economic and social development, the EU has set itself the target of increasing the employment rate of older people. For this to be successful, governments, social partners and organisations need to work together to develop the skills and employability of older people. Education, guidance, training and employment opportunities must be adapted to an age-diverse workforce. New pedagogical approaches are the key elements to facilitate extended workforce participation for older workers. In-service training for adult education providers to enable them design and deliver new educational content across a variety of learning platforms must be developed to support their continuous professional development. Transition programmes that enable older workers acquire new skills, and a re-conceptualization of employment both in terms of specific work areas and work practices are essential if future economic growth, competitiveness, social inclusion and efficiency are to be achieved.  Education must address today's issues and challenges with appropriate new learning partnerships and learning tools that are flexible, adaptable, and easily updated and upgraded. Too often, support agencies busy themselves addressing the needs of yesterday instead of the needs of tomorrow. There is consensus among EU Member States about the need for active labour market policies aimed at raising employment levels among older workers and at postponing retirement.

Although not working in such fixed patterns of employment as before, engaged in new roles and environments, Europe's older generations have a key and continuing role to play. Critical to this workforce transition is the acquisition of new, updated and marketable skills and competences that contain all the necessary attributes for a long and successful career. There are a wide range of potential areas where older workers could be re-deployed to work on a full-time or part-time basis.

To realise this potential the RESET project will develop:

- a new bespoke, training programme for older workers to develop their skills as social researchers

- a new bespoke digital competence training programme that develops all the necessary IT skills to conduct desk and field based research and to analyse and present research findings

- a comprehensive in-service training programme for adult educators to support them in delivering the new curriculum resources

- a business development and planning framework for older persons to support them in developing their new business models

- an e-learning portal to facilitate the training of all project target groups

- a thought provoking scientific paper that outlines the benefits to be derived from the RESET project approach and that encourages policy makers to support this type of initiative to achieve greater workforce participation and enhanced social inclusion

The most remarkable aspect of the demographic change projected in Europe over the next three decades is the pace and scale of population ageing. While the degree of the problem differs between countries, it represents a significant challenge to all Member States. Without action, the ageing of the workforce will present real challenges to EU society.