Leader: Vanna Boffo (UNIFI); Other collaborator(s):
Transitioning to retirement can prove problematic for individuals and costly for society, if the skills acquired in the labour market get lost. This is what frequently happens, but it is precisely at the opposite of hte active-ageing policies that Italy needs to develop. The solution lies in preserving and adjusting senior workers’ acquired capabilities, or at least those that can still prove useful in old age for individuals and society. This can be done through enhanced work-based learning strategies, to be pursued involving trade unions, and trade and professional associations. Among the activities to be carried out, coaching, mentoring, and tutoring, mainly oriented to the third sector.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Quantitative research
The activities were carried out daily and through weekly meetings with the members of the work team, as well as activities to the validation of the questionnaire and the initiation of empirical research. Additionally, a three-day mission in Casentino was necessary, conducting semi-structured interviews with six significant individuals.
Qualitative research
The activities were carried out daily and through weekly meetings with the members of the work team.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Quantitative research
The correlation between the predictors generated by the theories and Active Ageing paradigm:
Qualitative research: the work focused on defining three main fields covering the Active Ageing Pillar and identifying the categories. As follow:
Pillar 1: Work Domain 3 – Professional Role, Organisational Context and Skills for Active Ageing Aim: To understand one's perception of one's professional role and to understand how the work context is able (or not) to provide competences for the active transition to retirement. Categories: 1) Intentionality (understanding the intentional transformation process to see how policies manifest in people's lived experiences); 2) Guidelines on professional role and responsibilities; 3) Relationship between leadership/coordination and self-care (exploring whether there is a dialogue between leadership capacity and the dimension of self-care).
We worked for the preparation of the National Conference “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, University of Florence 26-27 September 2024 organized by the LEAA (Learning, Education and Active Ageing) transversal Board of the Age-It research program with the Forlilpsi (Formazione, Lingue, Intercultura, Letterature e Psicologia) Department.
The National Conference saw the active participation of several Companies, Association, Institutions, and NGO’s, with 160 participants (from all Italian Regions, and all municipality type, from large cities to small towns.), 52 Good Practices, and eight workshops on five topics (1. The role of the territorial network for lifelong learning during active ageing; 2. For an active citizenship; 3. Care of the Self, care of the other, care of the community; 4. For lifelong learning: formation, training and courses; 5. Older People and Work).
The main results can be summarized as follows: A) Active Ageing and Life Long Learning from the bottom to research; B) Building of the Network; C) Interdisciplinary dialogue; D) Listening to what people have to say, including mature and older people; E) Intergenerational dialogues.
24/09/2024: Vanna Boffo submitted an article (on behalf of the LEAA Board) to the Journal of Gerontology: Active Aging in an Aging High-Income Country: The Role of Education and Learning. Insights from a Mixed Methods Study
Quantitative research
Experience abroad (November 2024 -December 2024). Study of the University Age Friendly project of the Lorca Campus of the University of Murcia: theoretical models (Age Friendly University, Cultural Wellbeing, holistic approach, multi-sensory stimulation); participation in two courses, a conference and an event. Desk analysis: demographic and occupational characteristics and Active Ageing Index of Spain and the Murcia region; collection and analysis of data on associations in the region of Murcia and the province of Lorca; bibliographic research of data on the cultural associations involved in the project. Field research: data collection by sending forms via email; data collection through interviews on the trace of the cards sent.
Qualitative research
Activities 3, 4 and 5 are still in progress.
Meeting of trainers from Anpas National CISL Study Center – Fiesole, 20–22 Sep 2024.
Meeting with Legacoop stakeholder, 21 December, 2024.
Event presentations
Submissions and publications
Quantitative research.
1. Empirical research in Tuscan cultural associations, aimed at identifying contexts and factors that can activate and support the skills recognized at the base for a positive transition from working life to retirement. Target sample (voluntary): national cultural association (45,263 active volunteers and 1500 offices throughout Italy) in AUSER (Autogestione dei Servizi per la solidarietà). Intervention field: cultural activity. Outcome: (ageing) active life and well-being. Data: the activities carried out, the skills developed, the well-being generated and the propensity for sustainability.
2. Preliminary results on Hypothesis testing: Positive correlation between cultural volunteering and the propensity to remain active (quality of relationships and the importance of carrying out an activity useful for the community in the perception of personal efficacy.
3. Experience abroad: Study of the Age Barometer questionnaire indicator system for the Employment dimension at the Age Platform in Brussels, during the month of March.
The activities were carried out daily and through weekly meetings with the members of the work team, as well as activities to the validation of the questionnaire and of the empirical research.
Qualitative research
1. Empirical research in Tuscan social entreprises
Aim: identify whether and how the social enterprises accompany professionals in a quality transition to retirement, noting which areas of expertise can foster Active Ageing in the professional context.
Hypothesis: 1) what is the knowledge about active ageing and self-care, 2) whether and how social enterprises can support professionals in the transition to retirement, 3) bring out the life skills of professionals working in the cooperative sector and understand how these can be reinforced in view of retirement and inclusion in community activities.
Piloting Phase I – Qualitative research: with the implementation of semi-structured interviews involving 15 coordination and management professionals.
Target sample: 10 Social Enterprise Presidents, 2 Human Resources Managers, 1 Former Social Enterprise President, 1 Consortium President, 1 Service Section Manager. The Tuscany provinces involved are: Firenze (6), Arezzo (3), Livorno (3), Grosseto (1), Pisa (1), Prato (1).
2. Preliminary results on Hypothesis testing: the data analysis, using the atlas.ti software, produced 4 categories and 12 code groups and the main results can be summarised as follows: There is little strategic awareness in social enterprises regarding the transition to retirement, with little systemic view of the relationship between longevity and work. The topic is not yet a priority, as the average age of workers is between 35 and 50 and the focus is mainly on the beginning of the career rather than on its conclusion. A relevant aspect that emerged is the role of intergenerationality, particularly in the transmission of digital skills, which highlights the importance of formal, non-formal and informal learning in social work.
Dissemination. Participation in the following events with contributions:
Conferences/Seminars.
[At the Summer School “Transitions in ageing: An interdisciplinary framework for research”, Lake Como School of Advances Studies Transitions in ageing, September 1-5, 2025.]
Abstracts
1. “Transitions from labour market to the retirement world in Tuscan social enterprises. Education, Lifelong Learning and Active Ageing” (Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi).
2. “Cross-national approaches to non-formal education for active ageing: comparative insights from the University of the third age in Florence and the Complutense University of Madrid” (Vanna Boffo, Davide Bonaiuti).
3. “Continuing Education and Prevention for Active Aging. Fostering success stories in the transition from work to retirement” (Fabio Togni, Francesco Casotti).
4. “The challenge of ageing: city models, community strategies, life skills and good practices for Longevity” (Vanna Boffo, Maria Grazia Proli).
5. “Longevity and artificial intelligence in human development contexts: toward a cure for aging”, (Vanna Boffo, Christel Schachter).
Submission of two papers for the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, edited by Firenze University Press (in Italian):
1. “The role of heritage and cultural associationism in active ageing processes. A case study on the Casentino association network” (Giovanna Del Gobbo, Sofia Marconi, Cristina Banchi, Francesco De Maria).
2. “Skills for ageing in the workplace: the case study of. Managers of Social Cooperatives in Tuscany” (Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi, Christel Schachter).
Publications
0. Panel: “Social Justice and Ageing: Older Learners as Active Citizens in a Complex System” (Moderators: Vanna Boffo and Laura Formenti).
1. “Social Justice and Ageing: Older Learners as Active Citizens in a Complex System” (Vanna Boffo, Laura Formenti).
2. “Education, Learning and Skills for Active Ageing: an Italian Research on Good Practices” (Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi, Christel Schachter).
3. “Active Ageing in for Cultural Services: Focus on Elderly Population in Inland Areas” (Giovanna Del Gobbo, Sofia Marconi, Cristina Banchi, Giulia Biagi, Francesco De Maria).
4. “Autobiography and Quality Longevity” (Fabio Togni, Vanna Boffo).
Quantitative research.
1. Survey on the national voluntary AUSER.
Research objective: identify contexts and factors that can activate and support the skills recognized at the base for a positive transition from working life to retirement.
Preliminary results: positive correlation between cultural volunteering and the propensity to remain active:
- the quality of relationships in the contexts of activity.
- the importance of carrying out an activity useful for the community.
- the perception of personal efficacy.
2. Experience Abroad – Age-Friendly University in Lorca (Spain) (ongoing)
From April to July, activities expanded to include the implementation phase: examining the introduction of cultural and social prescribing practices on campus, supporting the development of an association network in Lorca, translating research tools, and designing the engagement strategy, including sampling and communication methods.
Empirical research in Tuscany social enterprises.
A. Qualitative Research on LegaCoop Social Enterprises
The data from semi-structured interviews involving 15 coordination and management professionals were analyzed using Atlas.ti software.
The coding process followed the stages of grounded theory (including open coding, axial coding, and theoretical coding). The analysis produced four categories (strategic planning, intergenerational dimension, personnel and redefinition of professional profiles, and policies supporting workers and pension plans) and 12 related code groups. The main findings have been presented and discussed in an essay included in the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, published by Firenze University Press, scheduled for release in September 2025.
B. Survey on LegaCoop Social Enterprises
Aim: The questionnaire aims to gather perceptions from social cooperative workers regarding the transition to retirement, with the goal of enhancing acquired skills, supporting a conscious and sustainable process, and designing organizational conditions that address the needs of all generations.
Questionnaire Design and Administration: Based on the qualitative analysis and the identified code groups, 20 closed-ended items were defined, each associated with 8 variables supported by the literature review, to be evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. The administration phase is currently underway.
Submissions and publications
The research group focused on scientific writing about the research work by proposing:
- An abstract was submitted to Second General Meeting Age-It, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, October 29-31, 2025. Title: “Transitions from labour market to the retirement world. Education, Lifelong Learning and Active Ageing”, Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi.
- An abstract and a paper were submitted to Call for proposal National CIRPed Seminar “2000-2024: Confini educative tra generazioni. Un giubileo per l’educazione”, Naples, November 14, 2025.
Title: “Social Identity and Self-Enhancement in Older Adulthood: Challenging Stereotypes Through Senior Initiatives”, Debora Daddi
- Publication of two papers for the volume “Accompagnare la longevità. Buone pratiche educative e formative per l’invecchiamento attivo”, edited by Firenze University Press (Pending publication in September): 1) “The role of heritage and cultural associationism in active ageing processes. A case study on the Casentino association network”, Giovanna Del Gobbo, Sofia Marconi, Cristina Banchi, Francesco De Maria, and 2) “Skills for ageing in the workplace: the case study of. Managers of Social Cooperatives in Tuscany”, Vanna Boffo, Debora Daddi, Christel Schachter.
Coming soon