Strategies for Managing the Ageing Workforce in Manufacturing: A Survey-Based Analysis

In recent years, the phenomenon of an ageing workforce has emerged as a critical area of concern, drawing attention from various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and industrial practitioners. The rapid advancements in digitalisation within the manufacturing sector have compounded this issue, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of its contextual underpinnings and implications. As a result, the responsibility of addressing these shifts in the human resource markets and, more importantly, their implication for working conditions falls on industrial engineering and production research communities as well as national and corporate policymakers. Addressing these problems is particularly important in manufacturing or assembly lines where workers must execute manual and cognitive tasks requiring both their full physical and mental faculties. A research approach based on a targeted questionnaire surveys was conducted within an Italian province. By engaging directly with industry stakeholders and workforce representatives, the research sought to extract insights regarding the awareness of the ageing workforce phenomenon and the practices employed to address its challenges. This study reveals that half of the surveyed manufacturing companies lack targeted strategies due to resource limitations, resistance to change, and competing priorities. However, companies implementing flexible working practices, training programs, job rotation, and enlargement report positive outcomes and emphasize the importance of preserving older workers’ expertise.