일본의 고령자 보람취로에 관한 평생교육적 고찰

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper explores the directions effective work education should take in order to encourage the ever-growing population of the elderly to take part in work, and thus contribute to their successful and happy aging. For this, Japan's Silver Human Resources Center's supply system of work and work education was observed and analyzed. The government-sponsored center supports organizations of the elderly in order to facilitate their participation in social activities by offering a variety of paid work opportunities. This paper identified the directions taken by Japan's work education for the aged as follows: First, Japan's Silver Human Resources Center offers a wide range of opportunities for the old to exert their capabilities by expanding the scope of work for the old through a flexible access to the concept of work. In other words, the center does not regard work as a part of jobs but paid activities, covering a wide spectrum of activities ranging from meeting daily demands to specialized projects. Accordingly, the center is developing various education programs to expand and enhance the competencies of the elderly. Second, the center helps the aged deepen their understanding of work and the regional society and develop relevant capabilities in order to offer an opportunity for the elderly to play a key role in meeting the demands of and solving problems in the regional community and gain social and emotional support from the society. Third, the center has established an active, cooperative network externally with residents, companies and the municipal government in the region while internally maximizing the participation by the old by operating a flat organization in a self-regulated manner.