Background: Europe’s aging society and an increasing lack of skilled workersAs highlighted in the EU 2020 strategy Europe faces a moment of transformation. In the forthcoming decades Europe among others will face two key challenges: an increasingly aging society due to massive demographic changes as well as lack of qualified labour forces skilled workers in several sectors of the labour market.In European societies life expectancy is increasing due to good health care and the higher standard of living. There are predictions that in the year 2020 in countries like Germany almost 50% of the population will be aged 50+. This trend goes along with a growing unemployment rate for this age group. According to the OECD (2014) the probability of finding or keeping a job decreases for older people. This includes the non-participation of older people at the labour market, lower employer investment in the skills of older workers and few incentives for older workers to improve their skills. At the same time in several sectors of the labour market a shortage of skilled workers is expected or exists already. There are claims to meet future challenges by means of an active policy for raising the employment rate for older people for instance by helping them to stay in work longer. Also, in the light of a growing demand for skilled working forces and an increasing proportion of older staff, companies have to develop and implement concepts aiming at making their companies more attractive for older staff and to meet the specific requirement of this age group. Central aspects and key factors targeted by the InCounselling50+ projectComprehensive, responsive and target group oriented counselling servicesDue to its heterogeneous nature the indirect target group of persons aged 50+ has varied needs. Job seekers 50+ are interested in finding their way back to the labour market, employees 50+ as well as employees in transition profit from company concepts which offer competence development or flexible working conditions. With respect to the stated diversity InCounselling50+ will provide a concept to identify the needs of the individual person and that is open for different perspectives. Cooperation between Higher Education and companies The InCounselling50+ project will establish new strategic partnerships and cooperation between Higher Education (HE), companies and Public Employment Services (PES) that will ensure a high quality level in counselling. As an increasing number of Universities offer special services for older people like Third Age Universities, and companies need concepts to maintain the knowledge and skills of their employees 50+ or lifelong learning, both sides can profit from each other. Within InCounselling50+ seven partners from four countries – HE institutions and companies from Germany, Poland and Croatia as well as an IT and eLearning specialist from Lithuania – promote an active exchange of experiences and good practices between HE, companies and PES on a European level to ensure that the challenges of people aged 50+ get addressed adequately. The InCounselling50+ project, its aims and outputsThe InCounselling50+ project aims at developing, piloting and implementing a holistic and scientifically based concept for innovative career counselling and guidance. Its main target groups are HR practitioners (human resource managers) from companies and career counsellors. The actual group of end-users who will indirectly benefit from the project and its outcomes are people aged 50+. The project will bring up the following products and outputs:Literature review and needs analysisIn a first step the project will carry out comprehensive national literature reviews as well as an analysis of the target groups’ needs in order to develop problem- and target group oriented concepts and products. Training concept, training manual, resource package and web portalBasing on the outcomes of the literature review and needs analysis three outputs will be developed by the partners: an overarching training concept, a comprehensive training manual consisting of six training modules as well as a resource package that includes a trainer guide, PowerPoint slides and learning material. The resource package will be made available online in a trainers section of the project’s web portal. Face-to-face trainingsIn each of the partner countries - Germany, Poland & Croatia - the partners will hold face-to-face trainings for the project’s main target groups of HR practitioners from companies and career counsellors.Self-directed online coursesAs a part of the project’s blended learning concept a self-directed online course will be developed and implemented. The online course aims to provide additional resources that can be used by participants of the face-to-face courses. At the same time it can be used as a stand-alone resource by HR practitioners and career counsellors who have not participated at the course.