Glossary

A

Ageism
Ageism refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.
Ambassador
A representative or promoter of a specified activity.
Angel investor a.k.a. Business angel
A private wealthy individual who invests time and money into small startups or entrepreneurs, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company.

B

Bootstrapping
The process of using only existing resources (such as personal savings, personal computing equipment, and garage space) to start and grow a company. (The term is also used for building a business mainly through cash flow – when a startup aims to sell a product or service with minimal capital and only grow the business with the income they get from selling the product/service.)
Business incubator
An organisation which provides start-ups and early-stage businesses with the support and resources those young companies find difficult to access.

C

Continuous professional development
Any action of education and training undertaken by a person after entering working life, to update his/her skills and qualifications – or acquire new ones –, improve his/her performance and progress in career.

D

Digital business
Use technology to create new value in business models, customer experiences and the internal capabilities that support its core operations.
Digital competence
Ability to make confident, critical and responsible use of, and engagement with, digital technologies for learning, at work, and for participation in society.
Digital learning
Ability to articulate and search for data online, analyse it, store it properly and critically and safely create information out of that data.
Digital transformation
Integration of digital technologies into all areas of a business resulting in creating new or modifying existing business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements.

E

e-learning
Strategies and didactic methods of teaching and learning in which the main elements include the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Entrepreneurship
Capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas, and to transform them into values for others, founded upon creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, innovation and risk-taking.

F

Fixed mindset
A belief that peoples’ basic qualities, such as their intelligence or talent, are fixed traits and cannot be changed through effort.

G

Growth mindset
A belief that most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

H, I, J, K

L

Learning Mobility
Moving physically to a country other than the country of residence, possibly combined with a period of virtual participation, in order to undertake study, training or non-formal or informal learning.
Learning outcomes
Statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process, which are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence.
Legacy career/Encore career
Work in the second half of one’s life that combines continued income, greater personal meaning, and social impact.
Lifelong learning
Learning in all its forms, whether formal, non-formal or informal, taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective, including the provision of counselling and guidance services.

M

Mobility database
A searchable online collection of providers of different types of mobility.

N

Networking
The action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.

O

Olderpreneur
Someone who starts their own business, especially when it involves a new opportunity, over the age of 50.
Olderprenership
A combination of a frame of mind and skillset that enables older workers to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings.

P, Q

Proactive
Creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.
Project-based work experience
Short-term project conducted remotely or in-person, either independently or in collaboration with a team, to build connections, gain experience, and develop new skills.

R

Reactive
Acting in response to a situation rather than creating or controlling it.

S, T

Secondment
The temporary transfer of ar worker to another position or employment.
Social enterprise
A business with certain social objectives as its primary goal while using a commercial structure to run the organisation. (Social enterprises usually attempt to make a strong societal impact while maximising their profit as well, which is then used to fund their social programs.)
Spotting opportunities
The act of identifying, evaluating and then acting on an opportunity.
Startup
A company in the first stages of operations, founded by one or more entrepreneurs who want to develop a product or service. These companies generally start with high costs and limited revenue, which is why they look for capital from a variety of sources.

U

Unretirees
(Older) people who leave retirement and go back to work.

V

Venture capital
A form of private equity and a type of financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses in the early stages, believing they have long-term growth potential.
Virtual volunteering
Volunteer activities completed, in whole or in part, using the Internet and a home, school, telecenter, or work computer or other Internet-connected device, such as a smartphone or a tablet

W, X, Y, Z

Workplace mobility
The participation of employees in trainings, projects, volunteering, secondments or other initiatives in a location different from their workplace in order to gain new skills, insights and contacts.

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