The main barrier for people 50 plus is not competences, but recruitment. Ads with slogans about “young, dynamic team” often exclude older candidates in advance, even if they do not say it directly. ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) systems can often estimate the age of the candidate, even if he does not give birth date in the CV.
Agnieszka Operhalska from the Heart & Mind Foundation, Wisdom of Generations has no doubt: – Traditional recruitment processes usually do not work for people 50 plus. Alternative access paths to employers are needed.
One of the basic barriers also remains Protective age against pension. Employers are afraid that by employing an elderly person, they will not be able to easily terminate the contract if the cooperation fails. Some candidates are ready to give up protection, but the law does not provide for such a possibility today.
In addition, there are problems on the side of labor offices. – Labor offices are struggling with chronic underfunding and high rotation. Employees are often overloaded and exposed to clients' aggression. Modern communication is also lacking. The offices are absent from social media, and their websites are opaque and difficult to navigate – emphasizes Agnieszka Operalska.
Internships financed by labor offices
On June 1, 2025, the amendment to the Labor Market Act came into force, which changes the rules of internships financed by labor offices. As a result An internship scholarship can reach up to 160 percent. unemployment benefiti.e. up to PLN 2,659 gross per month. Internships usually last from three to six months. The scholarship is not high, but the cost of employment for the company remains low.
Introduced regulations rewards companies that will employ a participant after the internship and help him gain qualifications. Such an employer receives a bonus of PLN 518 per month, paid for half a year. The budget also assumes additional funds, which can be intended for training and raising competences.
For candidates, this means not only greater financial security, but a real opportunity for development. For employers, an impulse to open to experienced employees without financial risk.
– This is a fantastic moment that both sides can get to know – says Agnieszka Operhalska. – The employer may assess the actual competences of the candidate without financial risk (the scholarship pays for the employment office), and the candidate has a chance to show his value in action, not on paper.
For people long -term unemployed, internships can be what the expert calls “a soft entry into the labor market”. This is not only a chance to gain new competences, but above all the opportunity to get used to the rhythm of work again.
Local governments take the initiative
More and more cities are implementing local internship programs for people 50 plus. In Wodzisław Śląski, the program “Potential and Development 50 plus” has started, which combines a career coaching with several months of experience and reimbursement of part of the remuneration.
In Sucha Beskidzka, recruitment for the project “Your Chance, your success III”, financed from the European Social Fund Plus (EFS+), which is one of the main EU instruments supporting social integration and professional activation. The program provides for an average of four -month internships for unemployed people registered at the Labor Office, with particular emphasis on people aged 50 and more
In Warsaw, as part of the project “Professional activation of the unemployed (II)”, from June recruitment in which candidates in fifty have priority.
Company internships for people 50 plus
Maja Gojtowska, an expert in diversity in the workplace, also draws attention to the growing trend of 50 plus programs in the private sector. “In 2024, 1720 candidates for 40 seats applied to participate in the Rohlig Suus Logistics logist.
An example is also the “FitStraż” program in Zdrofit addressed to people 50 plus who want to change and gain new competences in the area of health and physical activity.
Simple organizations follow the same path by testing their own versions of returning to work after a long break. They are accompanied by training in the service of new technologies and system changes. They are most often implemented as internal activities, without public recruitments.
The key programs that work both ways turn out to be the key of success. Older employees share their experience in management areas, relationships with clients or teamwork, and younger ones support them in technological adaptation.
As Gojtowska notes: “Companies gain loyal and experienced employees, and younger team members learn soft competences from people who have worked two decades with people, not only with applications.”
“Career 50plus” program
The Heart & Mind Foundation in partnership with the Dignum Foundation and the Poviat Labor Office in Wrocław prepares a comprehensive internship program, “Career 50plus”. His goal is not only to provide an internship, but also to build realistic expectations on both sides.
The program will consist of an educational and practical part. The Foundation wants to organize joint workshops with employment offices and employers to better adapt programs to real needs and increase their effectiveness. The feedback element is the key. – We want to know what has worked and what not – says Agnieszka Operhalska. – Maybe the employer was not ready, or maybe the employee must also work something else.
Everyone wins in a well -designed internship program. Thanks to state subsidies, employers have a chance to meet candidates with extensive experience and low financial risk. Candidates gain time to refresh competences, rebuild their confidence and start a new professional stage.
