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„SeniorSenior educational programs for compensating
future student decline in German universities“
The Silver Market Phenomenon – Business Opportunities
ppand
Responsibilities in the Aging SocietyInternational Symposium in Tokyo
October 2nd – October 4th 2008

Christiane Hipp
Chair of Organization, HRM and General Management
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany

Content
1. Problem description
2. Backgrounda. Demographic changeb. Third Agers and their leisure activities
c. Business
B iopportunities
t iti – educationaldtil Sil
Silver MMarketk t

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
a. Facts of UTAs in Germany
ab. Example of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germanyc. Dilemma of the educational Silver Market

4. Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities
5. Conclusion

2

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

1. Problem description

student decline
presentfutureaging(labor) migration

collapse of birth rate© Author's illustration.
3

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Management
and General Management

Content
1. Problem description
2. Backgrounda. Demographic changeb. Third Agers and their leisure activities
c. Business
B iopportunities
t iti – educational
dtil Sil
Silver M
Marketk t

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
a. Facts of UTAs in Germany
ab. Example of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germanyc. Dilemma of the educational Silver Market

4. Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities

4Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

2. Backgrounda. Demographic change in Germany
The shrinking of the population in Eastern Germany seems to be dramatic primarily
due to …
aging

collapse of birth rate(labor) migration

agemenwomen

2050

legend:net migrationloss
net migration
gain
50000 persons

2001

100000 persons
200000 persons

net migration 20012010© Federal Statistical Office Germany 2006, 5-17; BBR, 2006.
5

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Management
and General Management

2. Backgroundb. Third Agers and their leisure activities



Third Age =
exempt from regular employment

exempt from raising a family
Third Agersare good in health,are socially and politically engaged,aim for personal self-fulfillment

enjoy life more than the previous generations,are willing to spend time in consumptives
activities like education© Swindell 2002, p. 419; Neugarten 1974, p. 192; Engstler et al. 2004, p. 217; Minichiello 1992, p. 409; Timmer & Aartson 2003, p. 643; Wenzke
2007, p. 28; image: Minnesota Policy Soup 2008.
6

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

2. Backgroundb. Third Agers and their leisure activities
Daily activities of senior citizens aged 60 to 69in average
average, they spend
most of their active timeon voluntary activities

08:24

sleeping
34%

voluntaryactivity
24%

07:12

sports/hobbies/ use ofmass media
eating/18%
personal
hygienecontacts/
12%
arrangements/
amusement education/
8%gtraining

followed by sports andspecial
phobbiestime in [h]

06:00

04:48

03:36

02:24

averaged they spend
around 60 minutes on
education and training

activities
4%

01:12

00:00

© BMFSFJ 2004, 13.
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Chair of Organization, Human Resource Management
and General Management

2. Backgroundc. Business opportunities – educational Silver Market

number of potentialsenior students will
increase

number of regularstudents will shring

compensation of decline?

win-win-situation for
elderly people and publicinstitutions of highereducation?

Meet elderly people’sinterest and demand forparticipation in social lifeand mental activities

Economic advantages foruniversities through study
fees and governmental
funds© Author's illustration; Vellas n.d.; Wenzke 2007, p. 78; Meynen 2003, chapter IV, 2.
8

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

Content
1. Problem description
2. Backgrounda. Demographic changeb. Third Agers and their leisure activities
c. Business
B i
opportunities
t iti – educationaldtil Sil
Silver MMarketk t

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
a. Facts of UTAs in Germany
ab. Example of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germanyc. Dilemma of the educational Silver Market

4. Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities

9

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
a. Facts of UTAs in Germany
UTA-institutions (Wenzke 2007, 158)
 institutions for senior citizens, e.g. day-care centers, senior clubs, service center (20%),
 admitted senior groups (13%)(13%),
 educational institutions, e.g. senior universities (13%)
 adult education centers (12%) and cultural and municipal institutions (9%)
Possibilities for studying at UTAs (Saup 2001, 18)
 register as an ordinary student, participating in required courses & taking examinations
 participating as guest auditors without requirements & without educational achievements
 registration as specific guests with specific offers like advisory courses, regular courses
 post-professional training, and lecture series
Current motivations for studyingy g ((Hirsch 1980,, 59;; Saupp 2001,, 15;; Meyneny2003,, Chapterp IV,, 4))
 compensating the gap of previous education, renew study abilities, discuss questions
 qualifying for honorary work or extend employability satisfying the need for participating in a desired study keepingp g able to communicate with yyounger
g g
generations or avoiding
g loneliness securing physical and mental mobility
10

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
b. Example of Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus
UTA at the BTU Cottbus
 foundedfd d iin 2001
 focus on increasing the general competencies andcompetencies to qualify for honorary/ regular employment
 number of pparticipants
pincreased from 87 persons
pin 2001
to 1186 registered senior students in 2006
Offer
 sports courses (23.8%)
 lectures and series of lectures (19%)
 lectures including discussions (17%)
 computerpcourses ((16%))
 self-organized project groups (11%),
 sightseeing (8%),
 no admission requirements, but a semester fee of 30 €© ZfW 2006, Wenzke 2007, A11; Image:BTU Cottbus, ZfW 2008.
11

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
c. Dilemma of the educational Silver Market
DemandSupplyAging of the population
Increase of number of Third Agers

Varietyy of institutions that offer
an educational program for theThird Agersin many cases focus on leisureand philosophical topics

Good health & well-being ofThird Agers

mostly UTAs don’t request
degrees or certificatesThird Agers spend most of
their time in voluntary activities,
hobbies and consumptive activities

often low fee or fee freeeducational programs

Although there is an attractive offer by UTAs the partici-pation & the benefit foruniversities is still low.
© Author´s illustration.
12

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

Content
1. Problem description
2. Backgrounda. Demographic changeb. Third Agers and their leisure activities
c. Business
B i
opportunities
t iti – educationaldtil Sil
Silver M
Marketk t

3. Universities of the Third Age (UTA) in answer to student decline
a. Facts of UTAs in Germany
ab. Example of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germanyc. Dilemma of the educational Silver Market

4. Conclusion: Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities

13Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

4. Conclusion: Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities

I
Incentiveti SSystemtMarketing Low-cost learning programs versus specific curricula with educational
achievements

 analysis of seniors needs© Meynen 2003; Picton 1995

 improvement of information
 improvement
it off public
bli relations
l ti© Williamson 1997; Picton 1985,
1985 cit.
cit in Minichiello 1992;
Lemieux 1995

Improvement in ...
Support

Program of the UTA

 governmental (financial) support

 enlargement of the offer© Marginson 1990

© Argote & Ingram 2000; Barney & Zajac 1994; Barney2001; Clough 1992

 honoraryo o a y worko improvement of the quality
 realization of a unique program© Swindell 2002; Timmer & Aartson 2003; Clough 1992;
Williamson 1997; Graney & Hays 1976; BMFSFJ 2004

 synergies through networks© Swindell 2002; Swindell & Thompson 1996

© Wenzke 2007

14Chair of Organization, Human Resource Management
and General Management4. Conclusion: Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universitiesstudent decline

futureoption 1:
no changes

present
absorption ofstudent decline

futureoption 2:
integrating UTA© Author's illustration.
15

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

4. Conclusion: Strategies to enlarge the benefit for universities

We have to g
get a new understanding
gof …
The Third Agers:
 acceptancep
as an active &interested generation
 as customers in the near future

Senior education:
 as an option to benefit from Silver
Market growth as a win-win-situation… and should connect them in abeneficial way!

© image: SPIEGEL special, 08/2006, cover.
16

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

Thank you for your attention!

Christiane Hipp
Chair of Organization, HRM and General Management
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany
www.tu-cottbus.de/personalmanagement
hi @t
hipp@tu-cottbus.dettb d
Authors of the paper
Doreen Schwarz
Janine Lentzy
Christiane Hipp

Library, BTU Cottbus, Germany

17

Chair of Organization, Human Resource Managementand General Management

Backup: Reference list (1/2)
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BBR,(2006). Raumordnungsprognose 2020/2050: Ausgabe 2006
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cottbus.de/btu/de/weiterbildung/kindersenioren/seniorenuniversitaet/.
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Publik. Bonn. http://www.bmbf.de/pub/studienfuehrer _fuer_senioren.pdf, 2007-11-09.
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