SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL SUPPORT FOR THE ELDERLY IN EMPLOYMENT: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The article highlights a pressing issue concerning the socio-psychological and pedagogical support of older adults in employment, emphasizing the importance of offering choices in professional activities. These activities range from engagement in community-based applied arts organizations to self-employment opportunities through professional training and skill development. The study underscores the significance of professional preparation for students specializing in Social Work, particularly during their practical pedagogical training at the “Center for Social Assistance to the Elderly and Disabled People” in Arzamas. This experience, combined with the course “Pedagogy for Non-Pedagogical Specializations” offered by the Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy at the Arzamas Branch of Nizhny Novgorod State University, plays a crucial role in fostering the professional competencies of future specialists. Students, acting as volunteers during their training, embody the concept of social service, contributing directly to the support of older adults. A review of scientific literature by both domestic and international researchers confirms the relevance of the issue and underscores the need for further investigation. As part of their practical training, students, in collaboration with their supervisors, developed a socially-oriented program titled “Age Is No Barrier: New Opportunities for Everyone.” This program outlines implementation stages, diverse formats, and methods aimed at enhancing the social activity of older adults, reducing societal tension, and improving their quality of life. The program also seeks to foster professional motivation and elevate the perception of older adults as a valuable and productive segment of the labor market. The proposed methodological approaches include individual, network-based, cross-sectoral, and axiological-enhance the scientific validity of the study. The program’s implementation stages-introductory, informational-educational, professional-oriented, and analytical-productive unveil the essence of socio-psychological and pedagogical support for older adults in employment. The program’s criteria are defined through a series of indicative indicators, while the outlined conditions facilitate the organization of training and retraining processes tailored to the psychological characteristics of older individuals and the demands of the modern labor market. This process is guided by experienced mentors, “silver volunteers,” and student volunteers. The findings show that the program “Age Is No Barrier” holds significant educational and socio-psychological relevance. It contributes to alleviating social fatigue, unlocking the potential of older adults, and improving their quality of life by enabling them to acquire new competencies.