The upgrading of workforce skills is key to the competitiveness of SMEs. In today’s business environment there is a premium on innovation that enables firms to develop new products and services, new production processes and new business models. This requires both in-house innovation and the ability to absorb knowledge from other firms and organisations, both of which call for a skilled labour force. Skills are also a critical but understated resource for entrepreneurship seen in the sense of business creation. Similarly to workforce skills, entrepreneurship skills will boost the competitiveness of local businesses thanks to the improved strategic and management competences of the entrepreneur.

1. Seniors -
A Source of Untapped Enterprise Potential?
OECD workshop on Skills Development
for SMEs and Entrepreneurship
Copenhagen
28 November 2012
Paula Fitzsimons
paula@fitzsimons-consulting.com

2. The Starting Point
 Demographic challenge to Lisbon Strategy
 Ageing of population is aggravating the
entrepreneurship gap
 Not a homogeneous group
 Varying risk options is needed to suit individual
preferences
 Novel approach is needed to encourage their greater
engagement with enterprise

3. OECD Policy Brief on Senior
Entrepreneurship
Key messages:
Population in Europe is ageing
Few involved in Entrepreneurship
Most focused on micro businesses with less growth
orientation
Growing population of healthy older people with skills,
financial resources and time available…potential
entrepreneurs
http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leedprogrammelocaleconomicandemploymentdevelopment/Policy_Brief_Senior_Entrepreneurship

4. OECD Policy Brief on Senior
Entrepreneurship
To increase entrepreneurship by older people, policy should:
Create a positive awareness
Support training and networks
Provide access to financing schemes
Include acquisition as route into entrepreneurship
Encourage 50+ to support others as Business Angels or
mentors
Tax and social security systems should not act as
disincentives

5. European Supported Initiatives
Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise (UK charity)
http://www.prime.org.uk/
Mature Entrepreneurs (Poland)
http://pup.gda.pl/en/articles/629_914.html
Best Agers (multiple countries)
www.best-agers-project.eu
Senior Enterprise (three partner countries plus observers across NW Europe)
www.seniorenterprise.ie

7. The means by which those in the older groups will
engage with enterprise as part of this ambitious pilot
programme is:
 Through starting and partnering
 Through investing and acquiring
 Through advising and supporting innovation in
new and existing businesses
Role of Senior Ambassadors in reinforcing the
message

8. Senior Enterprise is also focused on:
 Raising awareness of the many ways in which older
people can engage with enterprise
 Identifying and influencing the removal of barriers to
engagement
 Influencing policymakers to view older people
through engagement with enterprise as a resource

9. ROLE MODELS A KEY PART OF
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

10. Senior Entrepreneurs
Developed and implemented on the basis of
transnational and shared learning
Iterative process has permitted the identification of
appropriate content and delivery style for 50+ Senior
Entrepreneurs
Role of volunteer mentors/facilitators
Communication strategy/ gatekeepers role in generating
field of suitable participants

11. Community of Shared Interest
Partners
Mid-East Regional Authority, Ireland (Lead Partner)
The PRIME Initiative, UK
Inno TSD, France
Observers
City of Bonn, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany
Conseil Général des Côtes d’Armor, Brittany France
County Enterprise Boards in Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, Ireland
Dublin City University, Ireland (Link to Professor of Entrepreneurship)
Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration, North Rhine
Westphalia, Germany
Perspective 45, Luxembourg
Provincial Government of Gelderland, Netherlands
PRIME Cymru, Wales

12. Highly Innovative
Turns the disadvantages often associated with the over
50’s and demographic change into a positive driver of
entrepreneurship and growth
Such a comprehensive approach has not been delivered
previously
Model is being tested and will be rolled out beyond NWE

13. It is intended as a result of Senior Enterprise that
 More businesses will have been started
 More investment will have been made
 More older citizens will be active as advisors in
new and developing businesses

14. Senior Entrepreneurs
Of those who have received some form of
Senior Enterprise support, over 900 had set
up new businesses in 2011.

15. Responding to Demographic Change in
North West Europe
To learn more please visit the website
www.seniorenterprise.ie

16. Seniors-
A Source of Untapped Enterprise Potential?
Paula Fitzsimons
paula@fitzsimons-consulting.com

17. Seniors-
A Source of Untapped Enterprise Potential?
Most definitely!
Paula Fitzsimons
paula@fitzsimons-consulting.com