How an Intergenerational Laboratory Can Help Manage Longer Working Life

Abstract

In a context of longevity, it is very likely that work cycles will increase in terms of the number of years worked and the number of experienced changes. Labor transitions have come to gain space in longer life cycles within much more unstable work environments. However, currently, it does not seem easy to change jobs, let alone switch sectors, especially at an older age. Also for companies it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach the talent that they consider essential, and even if they find it, many of them experience difficulties in retaining it or ensuring effective understanding among all generations in their teams. Do companies have channels to find the talent they need? Do we have spaces to manage the transition between one work experience and the other? This chapter shares the results of an intergenerational laboratory of innovation (iLABi), as a possible model for managing job transition and talent rotation. The possibility of having hybrid spaces, blending personal and professional life, that challenge people to solve real problems collectively, could not only benefit people as workers but also benefit companies, in its talent chain and in their ongoing pursuit of efficiency and sustainability.

1. Introduction

We know that work is an essential ingredient in our existence, and we also know that to ensure a long and healthy life, we rely on the approach of the life cycle and healthy aging [1, 2, 3]. This approach includes participation, health, social interaction, work itself, the environment, and, in general, the biocultural conditions [4] in which we live, along with many other factors that will significantly influence how we age and how long our lives will be. It is important to note that only about 25% of the way we age is influenced by our genetics, while the remaining 75% is in our hands and represented by epigenetics, essentially our habits and our environment [5]. Just as the resources, the city we live in, and the relationships we maintain, work shapes our daily environment and influences how we will age. It is in our hands to take care of our professional trajectory as a key aspect of our lives, alongside our physical, mental, emotional, relational, financial health, and so on [6].

Globally, there is a widespread pressure to work more, extending the active professional life to reduce the burden on pension and social systems. However, within the framework of healthy aging, it is not only about prolonging the working life arbitrarily, but rather about ensuring that everyone has access to professions that make their lives sustainable and, above all, allow them to continue developing as individuals, meeting their needs, purposes, and desires.

The life expectancy, and even more the healthy life expectancy, is not homogeneous across social classes, educational levels, types of work, or even residential locations. Some studies indicate up to 10 years of difference in life expectancy between social classes in different neighborhoods. Additionally, people with less qualified manual occupations have a lower life expectancy than social classes with more qualified nonmanual occupations. In that sense, it would clearly require an extensive reflection on the factors that influence people’s lives over the years to answer the question of whether long lives entail long careers. But in this article, we want to focus on labor transitions and how we can take the most advantage from the context of an aging society.

Do companies have channels to find the talent they need? Do we have spaces to manage the transition between one work experience and the other? Those are the general question marks of the reflection. If we can generically assume that a longer life expectancy influences a longer work expectancy, the hypothesis is that spaces, projects, channels, and entities will be needed to facilitate these transitions, and they should not be left in the hands of a few privileged individuals with the best economic and educational conditions, the best opportunities.

Specifically, the article will showcase the results experienced in a social innovation project called iLABi, which will be used to break down and enumerate, in a deductive manner, some of the aspects considered relevant when it comes to successfully navigating the waves of a long and prosperous career and how the possibility of having experimental spaces, similar to iLABi, facilitates personal and professional transitions, not only from an individual standpoint but also from the perspective of companies and, more broadly, neighborhoods and communities.

2. Methodology

This contribution supports its assumptions through a data search that quantitatively aims to describe the dynamics of the current and immediate future labor market. The methodology used for studying the context therefore is quantitative. In the available literature on the labor market, there is a clear distinction between job seeking from the perspective of an unemployed person and career development from the perspective of an employed person. The former can be seen as a reactive stance, which connects us to a series of issues related to labor market exclusion and the difficulty of reintegration. On the other hand, the latter, a proactive stance, seeks the best opportunities from a relatively stable position, and it is more closely linked to motivational aspects, such as reasons for wanting to change jobs, companies, or projects. These two positions in the labor market have numerous other nuances related to individuals’ life cycles, making the overall landscape more complex to describe. In fact, comparing both situations can be quite challenging without oversimplifying.

The second part of this article presents a model proposed as the result of a project designed and developed by mYmO, an intergenerational innovation entity based in Madrid. This model has been evaluated and is used to deductively verify alternatives to staying active in the labor market and managing labor transitions that may be anticipated or encountered. In this sense, the article does not analyze the barriers or difficulties that individuals may encounter when facing these transitions in their career paths. Instead, it uses a case study to verify how this model can be used as a viable alternative for managing the life and work changes that come with long and fulfilling lives.

To summarize, the first part of the context and proposal’s foundation includes an analysis of quantitative data extracted from official European and non-European sources. The second part, on the other hand, is based on a qualitative analysis that will be extrapolated with deductive logic to scale its scope and objectives so that it can serve as a reference model for managing labor transitions in aging societies.

3. Labor market and professional transitions

To contextualize and justify the proposal, the focus has been placed on specific and rather quantitative aspects, selecting two indicators. The first indicator is the number of career changes that individuals will have to face as a logical consequence of adding years to their lives. The second indicator is the number of years people stay in the same position, linked to knowledge obsolescence driven by technological changes in the market. These two indicators allow us for a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of the labor market and the challenges to be managed by longer professional lives in a long-lived society.

What does it mean to have a long professional life? Starting with the first indicator, it appears that the traditional concept of a lifelong career, where individuals spend their entire working lives in the same company, as their parents or grandparents may have done, is at risk of extinction. Although some people can stay in the same position or company for more years, it is assumed that a longer life expectancy will lead to more professional transitions.

“One in 16 workers may have to switch occupations by 2030. That’s more than 100 million workers across the eight economies studied—and the pandemic accelerated expected workforce transitions.”-McKinsey [7]

European statistics from recent years, reported in newspapers, media, or private company reports, have indicated that, on average, people make a career change approximately between five and seven times during their working lives. Looking beyond Europe, there are studies that talk about job turnover and mention the possibility of up to 12 job changes in the lives of adults, as seen in a publication with data on the work life in the United States. A Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) news release published in August 2021 (based on data from 2018) analyzed the number of jobs that people born between 1957 and 1964 held from age 18 to age 54, indicating an average of 12.4 changes, with variations between age groups and genders [8].

It is not easy to rely on data that speaks about labor transitions, especially because there is little consensus on how to define the context for analysis, as differentiating between a job change, an employment change, or a career change varies. This lack of clarity makes it challenging to determine how many times a person has experienced a change, a job transfer, a promotion, or a professional leap. As a result, the data found is not easily comparable.

On the other hand, EUROSTAT data [9], updated to April 2023, quantifies annual transitions, on a quarterly basis, between employment, unemployment, and inactivity in the labor market. By measuring the percentage of employment, the percentage of unemployment, or the percentage of people outside the labor market, EUROSTAT tracks the changes of individuals who have moved from one situation to another, combining the three states with each other and yielding nine possibilities: Employment to Employment; Employment to Unemployment; Employment to Inactivity; Unemployment to Employment; Unemployment to Unemployment; Unemployment to Inactivity; Inactivity to Employment; Inactivity to Unemployment; Inactivity to Inactivity.

Talking about transitions from the perspective of employment to another employment, the European average (EU27 countries) is 94%, with the unit of measurement being the percentage of employment. This data indicates that 94% of transitions to employment come from individuals who were already employed. On the other hand, looking at transitions from unemployment to employment, the European average is 38.4%, indicating that the proportion of people who manage to transition from unemployment to employment is relatively low. In other words, those who find employment after being unemployed do not constitute a majority. The differences between countries in this regard are significant, and Spain (35.9%) is around the European average in terms of the growth of mobility from unemployment to employment.

Spain is below France (42.3%), Portugal (46.8%), or Poland (37.0%) but above Greece (22.8%), Italy (29.3%), or Slovakia (22.3%). The countries experiencing the highest mobility are Germany (49.8%), the Netherlands (59.5%), Denmark (59.8%), and significantly topped by Iceland (68.7%), which has the highest percentage of transitions from unemployment to employment in Europe.

Finally, if we look at the data from the point of view of inactivity, measured as the percentage of the population outside the labor market, the European average is 9%, indicating that reentering the labor market after being inactive is very complex. In fact, 87.4% of the population that is outside the labor market remains inactive throughout the year, as shown by the analysis of data from the flow of inactivity to inactivity.

Conversely, the flow from unemployment to unemployment is much smaller (37.1%), indicating a much higher mobility and possibly representing dynamics of temporary or fixed-term jobs that lead to greater rotation in changes. In this case, the differences between countries are quite significant: Spain (42.8%), France (35.5%), Portugal (35.0%), Poland (32.8%), Greece (56.7%), Italy (34.3%), Slovakia (71.3%), Germany (25.1%), the Netherlands (17.3%), and Denmark (17.3%). EUROSTAT provides data from the last 10 years, allowing us to verify that the trend toward rotation and professional transitions is increasing in almost all countries, with few exceptions, such as Switzerland, which maintains its percentage almost unchanged between 2013 and 2022 in the three states of employment, unemployment, and inactivity toward employment.

Looking at the Spanish situation in more detail, this trend of increasing transitions is confirmed by the latest data updated by the Spanish Public Employment Service (SEPE), which indicates that in Spain in 2022, throughout the year, 53% of employed individuals signed a new employment contract, followed by 21.78% who signed two contracts. The remaining 15% are above the rotation index, meaning they formalized three or more contracts throughout the year [10].

Regarding geographical mobility between autonomous communities, we see that in terms of contract volume, mobility is characterized by a higher presence of men under the age of 45, of which more than a third are foreigners, and two-thirds have not completed secondary education. These individuals are employed in agricultural or service sector companies and in elementary occupations or in occupations related to food service, personal services, protection, and sales. As for occupational groups, the highest mobility rates occur in higher professional groups: managers and directors, scientific and intellectual professionals, support professionals, and skilled workers in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Except for the latter and elementary occupations, all other groups have increased their interregional mobility rate in 2022 [10].

The second indicator is linked to the factor of innovation in the market: how innovation, especially technological innovation, accelerates knowledge obsolescence. In the past, someone in their 30s could stay with the same typewriter as their main tool for 10 years of work. Currently, a person cannot go even 2 years without some system or tool directly linked to their job being modified.

To provide data in this context, an interesting reflection comes from looking at the number of years a person remains in the same position or company. Consulting the data from the SEPE updated to 2023, it is seen that among workers aged 25–34, the average job tenure is 2.8 years. Among those aged 35–44, the average job tenure was 4.9 years, and among those aged 45–54, the average job tenure was 7.6 years. The average tenure increased to 10.1 years for workers aged 55–64. In other words, it seems that the older people, the fewer changes they experience. This same data is evident in different contexts, as testified by the materials of the European Aspire project, which mention that “Older workers make fewer job changes than younger workers. This could be because as some people progress in their careers, they finally find the right job that allows them to make good use of their skills and interests them. However, older workers who are interested in a job change are reluctant to do so for various reasons” [11].

Regarding educational levels, in Spain, occupational mobility has increased for all levels during the last year, and in general, it is observed that the population group that moves the most is that under 25 years old, followed by individuals between 25 and 45 years old [10]. Spanish newspapers describe this situation in terms of desirability or motivation by generational groups, mentioning that employees between 25 and 44, of whom 33.5% have made a career change, are seen as proactive, while those over 45 were more conservative, with only 16.4% changing jobs [12].

The typical profile of a worker who has changed occupational groups more frequently in the last year, with a higher mobility rate, corresponds to a Spanish man, and those under 25 years old. It is also slightly higher for temporary contracts. Regarding educational levels, the highest rates of occupational mobility are found among those with education beyond high school, with the highest rate in 2021 observed among workers with a higher vocational training level [10]. Contrarily, the lowest occupational mobility rates are observed among women, those over 45 years old, individuals with primary education, and foreigners from outside the EU. This profile is more common in the service sector, where a higher rate of job stability is observed. In terms of occupational groups, the ones with the highest mobility rates are managers and directors, skilled workers in agriculture, technical and support professionals, and accounting, administrative, and other office employees. Conversely, the group of elementary occupations shows the lowest mobility rates [10].

How many times will a 40-year-old person change jobs in the coming decades? What about a 60-year-old? These questions raise the issue of how these transitions will occur between positions, departments, and companies. Will all individuals have the information, access, and ability to manage these transitions satisfactorily?

In summary:

• The number of professional transitions is increasing in most European Union countries. Different sources mention a minimum of five to a maximum of 12 changes within a career trajectory.

• Data indicates higher flow mobility from unemployment to employment compared to employment to employment or inactivity to employment. It appears to be easier to find employment when already employed rather than when unemployed or inactive.

• The number of years a person stays in the same position or company typically ranges from a minimum of two consecutive years to a maximum of 10 years, with young men under 25 years of age experiencing more frequent changes.

• The analyzed data does not provide detailed information on the diversity of the population regarding gender, age, or educational background. However, it seems that individuals with higher levels of education and generally young men are more mobile.

The data presented in this article aims to describe a rapidly changing reality and provide a dynamic image of possibilities without delving into comparative or qualitative details. It approaches the potential future scenario of a long professional life with many transitions. The article assumes that this scenario—a long professional life with numerous transitions—serves as the context for reflection.

4. Introduction to the case: iLABi–intergenerational laboratory of innovation

The case presented is called iLABi, an Intergenerational Innovation Lab, which was designed in Spain before the COVID-19 pandemic to address a local need, specifically from the Madrid City Council and the Agency for Employment. The laboratory has been executed twice in 2018, in two different districts in southern Madrid—Villaverde and Vallecas—with the aim of supporting unemployed individuals in redesigning their career paths in the labor market.

The program’s duration ranges from 3 weeks to 3 months, and it brings together people of different ages and generations to share knowledge, learn, and co-create around a common challenge that involves them designing collective projects. The intergenerational innovation entity mYmO designed the iLABi proposal, considering the program’s objectives and its format. From mYmO, we have coordinated the development of the itinerary, designed the content, and proposed trainers, mentors, and advisors in line with the project’s goals. The main idea behind iLABi is to empower people from being job seekers to becoming job creators, encouraging a shift in perspective that turns them into change makers and creators of social innovation projects (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

iLABi results chain.

The iLABi is described as a train-action itinerary that provides unemployed individuals with innovation tools so that they can create their own employment through projects that contribute to social transformation and improve their community and neighborhood.

The general objective is to boost collective intelligence to strengthen local communities and promote positive changes. The specific objectives include creating employment opportunities, promoting social and labor integration of participants, generating projects that address identified needs, fostering an entrepreneurial attitude, and encouraging both employment and self-employment. The proposal also aims to cultivate a culture of social innovation. The iLABi was an innovative program designed to address local needs in Madrid, by empowering unemployed individuals to become change makers and creators of social innovation projects. The program’s format was unique compared to other formal training offered by the city council, and it was open to individuals of all ages, removing age restrictions.

The program was divided into two cycles: the first 6 weeks focused on training, while the second 6 weeks emphasized action. During the second cycle, participants engaged in fieldwork, team collaboration, and project mentoring. The Human-Centered Design (HCD) methodology was employed to train individuals in project design. Stable groups were formed to go through the HCD phases of research, ideation, and implementation, resulting in the development of viable projects. There were three additional transversal spaces in the program: learning among peers, open breakfasts for the community, and mentoring. Peer-learning communities aimed to foster creativity and innovation, where individuals engaged in collective learning and shared knowledge in specific domains, seeking to create an impact in their neighborhoods (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

iLABi training development.

Mentoring was offered as individual support based on the identified needs of participants through an initial interview. It provided guidance on project formulation, decision-making regarding job insertion, or managing life changes related to their employment situation. Open breakfasts with the community served as gatherings where people from the neighborhood could share ideas and suggestions while learning about the projects being developed in iLABi. This approach facilitated open innovation, as the first phase of the HCD process involved immersion in the context and research. To achieve this, the teams conducted interviews, gathered data, and established relationships with individuals and entities in the neighborhood to identify its priority challenges and extract the main insights. The two open breakfasts were designed to involve interested individuals and entities in this initial phase, fostering open innovation with the active participation of the community.

Participants in the iLABi program spent 3 days a week in their neighborhoods, working in team settings in classrooms provided by the Madrid City Council’s Employment Agency. They focused on designing and developing projects to address local needs aligned with their interests, ensuring both community impact and personal and professional fulfillment. The most significant aspect of iLABi was the shift in perspective from traditional empowerment and active job-searching approaches, typically offered to unemployed people by public administrations. Instead, iLABi encouraged participants to view their environment as an opportunity to effect change, empowering them to identify and address issues they disliked in their community, actively.

Overall, the iLABi model presented an innovative approach to training and empowering individuals to become proactive change makers, creators of social innovation projects, and contributors to their local communities.

The participants ranged from 20 to 25 people, although the number decreased as the first few weeks passed, stabilizing at around 15 participants. The team behind this laboratory was also quite extensive, consisting of approximately 46 people in its first edition, including all trainers, facilitators, and mentors. This was a significant difference compared to the standard modules of certified training offered by the public administration, as it primarily included entrepreneurs and businesspeople rather than employees. This way, the participants had direct access to the source of innovation from individuals who personally experienced what they were transmitting.

We trained people’s critical eye to decode opportunities in their environment, identify talents, and enhance them, all with the goal of achieving the feeling that through a common objective, things can indeed be improved. We worked diligently for a more inclusive and sustainable world.

The projects’ development level concluded with a pilot test in the form of a minimum viable product, connecting people with the methodology at a practical level and the need to conduct tests to validate assumptions. In any case, success was not tied to the level of project detail. We were not seeking million-dollar startups; in fact, our intention was to generate projects, not entities. The main objective was to empower people, make them feel like protagonists, train them in a culture of design and project management, and help them realize that they were already working, having a real purpose, a team, and potential clients.

One of the most revolutionary aspects of iLABi was precisely addressing the frustration experienced by unemployed people seeking new job opportunities. They would spend hours sending out resumes during the traditional job search process. Normally, they received few or no responses and rarely had the chance to meet the organization’s recruitment team they contacted, which meant they did not receive feedback on how their experience or talents matched the positions. The level of frustration from investing thousands of hours in working on their CVs without any response was usually very high. In contrast, the level of engagement with real people, engaging in weekly work that activated their talents while pursuing social change and community improvement in their area of residence, was typically extremely high. This has been evidenced by the evaluations of the two iLABi editions.

The motto was, “Here, employment is created, not sought.” But creating employment was not just about the possibility of some of the outlined projects prospering, but it encompassed all the indirect opportunities that arose from the 3 months of coexistence. Among these, we identified the following five main opportunities:

• The trainers and facilitators were entrepreneurs or businesspeople, not employees of the same organization coordinating the training space. This led to interesting professional connections later in time.

• The people and entities interviewed by the teams during the program were also potential employers, thus activating previously dormant opportunities.

• The coexistence also fostered spaces for peer interaction, partially self-managed in the style of communities of practice, which encouraged authentic dialog beyond professional interests. As a result, strong personal bonds were formed and sustained over time. This community itself generated personal connections and indirect job opportunities.

• The personal empowerment achieved throughout the experience became an asset to be valued, marking a significant change, particularly in terms of attitude. The energy generated and the sense of belonging to a community with a common objective had a relevant impact on personal development and self-esteem.

• Addressing specific problems arising from the analysis of the current situation also created opportunities across multiple sectors.

In summary, the laboratory is an intersectional unit of social innovation involving different stakeholders, and its ultimate outcome goes beyond personal empowerment, aiming to strengthen the community.

iLABi is a practical experience where people TRAIN and WORK.

iLABi is a community project. We work in a network putting local and community values at the forefront to be part of the solution.

iLABi is social innovation; given its format as a laboratory, its content, and above all by considering unemployed people as “Change Makers,” it is connected to other ways of creating employment.

iLABi is intergenerational as it connects people of different ages that suffer the same discrimination when unemployed, one part due to their lack of experience and another part due to ageism. Working as a team with this focus guarantees better learning for both groups, strengthens collaboration, and provides inclusion.

iLABi is a powerful tool to showcase our own purpose and build societies with socioeconomic wealth.

5. iLABi impacts and results

The two iLABi projects executed in 2018 were evaluated by two external anthropologists who were not part of the organization. Special attention was given to the first pilot project to verify its replicability and sustainability (Figure 3). A qualitative methodology was used, allowing the researchers to observe people in their context and analyze the meanings of activities and spaces in a deep and descriptive manner. Some of the considerations presented in these chapters are extracted from the evaluation documents. A few quotes from both participants and key people on the client side, the public administration, have also been included.

Figure 3.

iLABi data from the first pilot in Villaverde.

Let us explore the assumptions, framework, and value proposition of iLABi to deduce some insights that could be considered significant for managing labor transitions.

5.1 The future of work and the connection with the context

The main reason for launching iLABi is based on a reflection regarding the radical changes in the labor market. As we have seen, not only will we have to manage more labor transitions, but the format of work could also be different. It might entail changing not only companies or roles but also sectors, types of contracts, and more.

In the very near future, it is highly likely that we will have to combine traditional employment with project-based work, entrepreneurship, consulting, volunteering, and so on. Continuing to seek traditional permanent contracts corresponds to a reality of the past. Additionally, considering that many of the services and products we might need do not even exist yet, this can be seen as good news if we focus our efforts correctly.

The emerging possibility from these types of Labs is to create employment through personal initiative, not necessarily by turning everyone into entrepreneurs (a concept that has been overused lately), but by nurturing collaborative work, a project-oriented culture, and even combining various alternatives at once.

In rapidly changing markets, the prospect of diversifying risks and experimenting with different paths to remain active in the workforce sounds appealing. By embracing these changes and adaptability, individuals can find new and innovative ways to create value in the labor market.

5.2 People as change makers

The central focus of iLABi is to position individuals as change makers. The concept of being a “change maker” is highly valued due to the potential social impact the project can have in the medium and long term. Through iLABi, participants experience a transformative process that changes their perspective on society, leading to a desire to improve not only their own lives but also the lives of others.

During their participation in iLABi, both the participants and the public administration, which acted as the client, found value in designing the activities from the participants’ perspective. The program’s design and planning focused on empowering and giving autonomy and decision-making power to the individuals shaping the program. Many activities were self-managed, and there was time and space for listening and incorporating changes based on their needs.

• “Thank you so much for taking me out of my comfort zone.”-(Quote from participants)

The importance of horizontal relationships was emphasized by the employment technical staff at the Municipal Board. They advocated for participatory processes where beneficiaries actively design their own itineraries and emphasized self-management and horizontal work among participants.

Participants who went through iLABi shared their experiences of feeling invisible and disconnected from reality and opportunities while transitioning between projects or seeking employment. They highlighted the challenge of accessing spaces for dialog, learning, and testing their abilities to verify their marketable talent and employability. By participating in iLABi, individuals not only learn how to design their own professional projects but also gain a value proposition perspective when preparing and sending their CVs. This enables them to demonstrate what they can contribute to organizations rather than merely making requests or sending standard resumes. They also improve their networking skills and perceive the labor market as something to explore rather than an amorphous mass to place orders into, seeking employment without receiving any responses.

Throughout the months or sometimes years that individuals spend redesigning their professional projects, it can be beneficial to have spaces where they receive support and engage in collaborative work. iLABi serves as a bridge between one job or project and the next, providing a platform for individuals to become change makers. It offers guidance and community support during the transitional phases, empowering them to embrace the potential to effect change.

5.3 Learning by doing and the format

The laboratory mixes theory with practical aspects. The manager of the Employment Agency insisted on the importance of innovation, participation, and group methodology, particularly emphasizing the experiential methodology promoted by iLABi: “what will improve the participants’ competencies is learning by doing, and iLABi is also a way of learning by doing.”

The laboratory format allows experimentation, iteration, and the ability to test and stay connected to local needs, enabling the adjustment of products and services in real-time and in the logic of continuous improvement and piloting. It is possible to put into practice what is learned and continue building knowledge collaboratively. The presence of different profiles and generations positively influences this aspect even further.

Having spaces for experimentation and piloting seems very relevant also to understand if people feel they have the necessary skills and strength to undertake something or go for a transition. Before embarking on a job change, starting a business, or seeking a shift, having a safe space to test the desire for change seems relevant.

5.4 Analytical thinking and creative thinking

The laboratory provides the necessary tools to comprehend the social economy, new business models, and the ever-expanding network of stakeholders that need to be considered for social projects to be sustainable. We train individuals using innovative tools employed by professionals in agile businesses, such as Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas, Service Design, and so forth, aiming to generate ideas that can progress into viable projects from a problem-solving perspective. The key element is the opportunity to work as a team in designing projects that address real-world problems. Continuous feedback is provided, and the skills developed go beyond traditional hard skills.

The fact that the training is based on activating the ability to observe and think in terms of solutions rather than of problems is a capacity that will be increasingly important, especially with the advent and implementation of artificial intelligence. The areas where humans will continue to add value are mostly linked to creativity and problem-solving. Therefore, training these skills is crucial to remaining active in the job market.

• “…What I did like were the tools I learned; for example, I was unfamiliar with the canvas, but I find it very useful for the future.”

• “…It made me realize that we can ground some of the ideas we have in our heads by exploring other avenues.” (Quote from participants)

In this sense, iLABi aligns with the demands of the current job market because it creates a common space where professionals share knowledge, learn together, generate solutions for real needs, and work toward a common goal, enriching society itself. We are not merely talking about conventional training but rather about evergreen content, timeless and entirely necessary in a continuously evolving world, where needs cannot be predicted far in advance. In fact, the latest report from the World Economic Forum [13] on the future of work mentions that “Analytical thinking and creative thinking remain the most important skills for workers in 2023” [13].

In this context, for companies and individuals, having resources to understand how the economy and innovation function and valuing the culture of projects and systemic vision to solve problems appears to be crucial.

5.5 Attitude and self-awareness

iLABi aims to change both focus and attitude. We train individuals in embracing change, experimentation, the possibility of making mistakes, and growing, which are crucial aspects when seeking employment or changing companies. Among the main challenges when navigating the job market is one’s attitude and personal perception while leading desired changes. A low confidence in the result can influence the whole process.

Most participants have acknowledged that they now have a set of tools to implement projects of social innovation, feeling more secure, confident, and stronger. They recognize that their perspective has changed, and they discover potential projects in places they had not seen before. They also acknowledge that they have developed the ability to find a greater number of solutions or alternatives, recognizing themselves as more resourceful. We can say that many participants have undergone a change in attitude toward real challenges and limiting beliefs. It is also essential to highlight the attitudinal changes they feel they have acquired in problem-solving.

They recognize that they have learned to work in teams, valuing intergenerationality and group learning. The positive perception they have about the care within the process is noteworthy. They express that they have felt cared for, respected, recognized, and cherished during the process, both by the team and by the group, reiterating that this is something they had not experienced in other processes related to job searching.

The space that has been created has allowed them to build trust and feel that there was a safe environment to express themselves, seek help, and connect. Personal and professional lives sometimes cannot be separated. Individuals are whole beings, and the possibility of integrating emotions in this type of space, in a structured, controlled, and intentional manner, appears crucial.

• “It has been a very nice group, […] a very friendly group… if you didn’t understand something, people would explain it to you with a lot of respect, they would help you without a problem, but I think it was mainly because there was something emotional.” (Quote from participants)

It can be said that having a positive attitude when managing changes in personal and professional life is an important factor for healthy and satisfying transitions. Additionally, it is essential to highlight that a positive attitude can emerge from a context of respect, care, mutual support, and the security of feeling understood and integrated.

5.6 Teamwork and soft skills

Teamwork was one of the greatest challenges we encountered during the process. Most participants acknowledge having difficulty with teamwork, especially in managing horizontal relationships within the teams. In fact, participants were required not only to pay attention to content that was unfamiliar to many of them but also to be actively involved in their teams to carry out innovation projects, dealing with a lot of the differences in visions and behaviors. The fact that the target individuals were unemployed, sometimes for long periods, and sometimes with limited educational backgrounds, posed a significant challenge.

Furthermore, in any work and life setting, the ability to relate, have good communication skills, and build a strong network of contacts seems crucial for maintaining high employability and being active in the job market.

The manager of the Employment Agency highlights the value of shared talent and the importance of knowing individual’s competencies, which requires a continuous and constant process of self-awareness, as a tool for improving not only professional life but also personal life. She emphasizes how teamwork teaches everyone what we are good at, and this knowledge can be perfectly extrapolated to the business world.

Team management should be a priority in these types of processes since continuous support and guidance are necessary, especially during different group dynamics. This aspect contributes to increasing employability and the development of transferable skills that may be needed in any environment.

5.7 Intergenerational approach and complementarity

We strive to create intergenerational teams to break down stereotypes based on age. Talent is ageless; however, we are still discriminated against based on our age, for being either “too old” or “too young.” The possibility to work with people from a broad range of ages provides both emotional and professional benefits. Most participants highly value the selection process of participants, praising the “variety of profiles and ages” and recognizing it as an enriching element for the group. Throughout the development of the laboratory, special attention has been given to working on the “INTER” that is so crucial in intergenerational spaces.

Intentionally working on relationships has been a key aspect from the beginning. iLABi was designed to create spaces for connections beyond the objectives of project development. Besides the moments of rest that served as opportunities for bonding and were spent together, outdoor activities were organized, such as visits to job fairs where participants could showcase their projects, even if they were in their early stages, as well as other fun and festive activities. The complementariness of ages and professions helped to compensate for deficiencies in terms of content, comprehension, or communication. Having a life cycle approach that surpassed generational barriers allowed each person to find their place in the entrepreneurial journey. At the beginning of the sessions, basic and concise information about the intergenerational approach and the reasons for working with it were presented.

Especially in a longevity-focused society with diverse life cycles, varied needs, and objectives that differ significantly from the old ways of considering successful lives a century ago, having spaces for connection that value this diversity of perspectives and can manage it effectively can be a key to achieving greater levels of inclusion and creativity.

5.8 Open innovation and market knowledge

One of the characteristics of iLABi has been the intention to go beyond a simple training program for unemployed individuals and to become a tool serving the entire community. In this sense, the research conducted by teams was seen as an open innovation tool. On one hand, it allowed citizens and organizations to engage with the laboratory, and on the other hand, it provided participants with insights into the reality of the job market to make them aware of employment opportunities.

Throughout the process, there has been a focus on the capacity to imagine future scenarios without magnifying mental images of opportunities, but rather by staying grounded in the reality of each person’s context and employability.

• “There have been challenging situations because some neighbors have very difficult situations, and they have opened up to us.”

• “It has been very interesting to have peaceful conversations with some of the neighbors and give them time to express their needs and desires.”

• “I was able to ask if some of the ideas I have for the project would be well-received in the neighborhood.” (Quote from participants)

The possibility of having a space to test ideas or realize the direction in which the world is heading can be beneficial for rethinking one’s own career path, even without changing jobs in the present. In this case, iLABi has functioned as a small laboratory for personal and community research.

5.9 Not to be alone

The possibility of diversifying risk within one’s own service portfolio, the ability to put oneself into play, and looking for purpose in rescuing dormant talents are some of the keys to iLABi. The work during these weeks was very demanding, in terms of both theoretical content and practical involvement outside the classrooms by the participants. There have been many moments that required extra effort from both the coordination team and the participant teams. The diversity of profiles, understanding of the contents, and sometimes divergent life and professional objectives added complexity to the system.

At this point, the preparation, coordination, and alignment of the team have been crucial. The possibility of having a diverse team has also been relevant. It provided support and a quick way to resolve doubts, as well as direct contact with people who were already working where some of the iLABi participants may have wanted to move. This aspect of intergenerational collaboration has been central, based on intentionally crossing generations of knowledge that can bring out the best in each person and generation.

• “The level of content, direction of the Laboratory, and involvement of the participants is extremely high.”

• “There is a great need for many more iLABi laboratories in Villaverde!”

• “Thank you very much for the effort behind this project.”

• “iLABi is top-notch. These weeks have been fantastic. All the speakers are extraordinary communicators.”

• “I want to add that the speakers are brilliantly chosen in my opinion. Total variety of profiles.” (Quote from participants)

Feeling accompanied can represent a value when rediscovering talents and giving oneself permission to experiment with other roles and projects. It seems that the level of involvement of the coordination and facilitation team is essential for the success of these spaces (Figure 4).

Figure 4.

iLABi final celebration in Villaverde.

5.10 The vision of community and communal values

Eastern philosophies clearly emphasize that the key to a person’s happiness does not lie solely in the individualistic perspective prevalent in the West, but rather in the notion that a happy person can be more beneficial to the community.

Currently, in this complex historical moment, we are experiencing, characterized by wars, health emergencies, earthquakes, fires, water scarcity, and so on, that there is a high perception of risk that is often associated with a perceived lack of resources. In this sense, the possibility of reconnecting resources and rebalancing territories seems to be relevant when looking for new relationships between individuals and organizations. Particularly in an aging society, where we have not only a growing number of older people but also an increasing number of young people who will live over a 100 years old, the understanding of community, community work, and systemic vision would need to be revisited.

• “…the most positive thing is the collective learning.” (Quote from participants)

When considering generations within iLABi, it becomes evident that there is no competition for resources. Even if age differences were not so pronounced, the space for co-creation allowed moving beyond the traditional struggle or generational conflict, where young people are perceived as more creative and older individuals as either wise or not but, in any case, seemingly unable to be innovative. The intergenerational approach precisely allows moving beyond the barriers of prejudice and considering that there is no competition but rather a need for collaboration and co-production. In societies where the generational pact seems weakened and where polarity in situations appears predominant, particularly in the world of work, it becomes relevant to work on the perspective of co-responsibility.

Sustainability is understood as a process rather than as a result. In this regard, having inclusive spaces that draw strength not so much from individuals but from the community can represent a value in strengthening public–private alliances and the socioeconomic fabric of neighborhoods.

6. Limitation and consideration

As we have introduced in the context, the idea of sharing this working model as a possible alternative to managing career transitions for all ages has assumed that people in aging societies will experience more laboral transitions. Beyond this starting context, the model has been analyzed to verify its feasibility not only for the reconfiguration of professional trajectories for unemployed individuals but also for managing life and career transitions in general. It is believed that such models, and hence the proposal, can provide value in different situations. For example, transitioning from one position to another within the same company or changing roles, even in different organizations, as well as exploring new professional alternatives more closely aligned with different talents and purposes that individuals may want to modify at a given time.

In order to apply this working model to other scenarios, the following limitations and considerations are shared:

Technological support: The experience has been piloted only twice. The technology we used, before pandemic situation, was not predominant. Digital learning support platforms were not available. Having a technological support platform could improve accessibility, content generation, and workload distribution.

Funding and accessibility: The iLABi has been funded by the local public administration. If the experience were to be scaled up, it would be necessary to verify who and how it could be funded. It is not clear if all workers could afford additional expenses, especially those who are unemployed without public funding. It remains to be seen if the private sector would be willing to invest money in these spaces, either to support selection processes, accompany disengagement processes, or serve as a tool for open innovation to solve business challenges.

Work–life balance: The level of demand in terms of time spent both inside and outside the classrooms is quite high. It is not clear whether individuals, especially those who have to care for children or older parents, can afford to invest time in studying and researching new career paths.

Content: One of the key aspects related to the iLABi’s educational content has been focusing on sharing value related to innovation, economy, sustainability, human-centered design, and so on. Perhaps specific spaces could be designed and planned for specific sectors, although the experience suggests that the richness of these spaces lies in the diversity of professionals and profiles. It remains to be verified if this experience is adaptable to more specific sectors by introducing specific training modules.

Emotional volume, rescue zones, and self-awareness: This aspect seems very relevant speaking about team management and the interdependence of the people. At the individual level, it has been observed that a more precise focus on personal issues would have been necessary. This aspect may have been relevant due to the specificity of the target audience, unemployed people sometimes facing long-term unemployment, and it has been crucial to manage the project on time. It remains to be verified and expanded upon in terms of addressing personal emotional needs.

Context and projects: Some participants recognize the difficulty of implementing social innovation projects in districts like Villaverde or Vallecas due to their social reality, where a significant portion of the population does not have their basic needs covered. In this regard, the context seems relevant when implementing these types of spaces and projects.

Diversity: Participants with disabilities were not included in the selection, and accessible communications for non-sighted, non-hearing, or cognitively diverse groups could not be carried out. This is an aspect that needs to be included. Modifications in design and development processes may need to be made to be more inclusive.

“A majority of companies will prioritize women (79%), youth under 25 (68%) and those with disabilities (51%) as part of their DEI programmes. A minority will prioritize those from a disadvantaged religious, ethnic or racial background (39%), workers over age 55 (36%), those who identify as LGBTQI+ (35%) and those from a low-income background (33%).” World Economic Forum [13]

Ages and generations: Despite paying special attention to generational diversity, the truth is that in both versions of iLABi, young people were not attracted to participate. The youngest participant was 19 years old, and the oldest was 63, but the majority of participants were between 30 and 50 years old. Moreover, an intergenerational planning could not be achieved in the sense that people and generations were not integrated into the design of the proposal as demanded by the intergenerational methodological approach. This aspect remains to be explored.

Training: This article intentionally is not focused on the difference between a person who is an actively seeker for better opportunities and another person in a completely different situation who is outside the labor market, unemployed, and looking to re-enter. In the first case, there may be a need for training to adjust or update skills if one is seeking a change in position, role, or sector. In the second case, training may also be required, especially considering the length of time a person has been out of the workforce. In both cases, it seems that transitioning to a new job may requires training spaces. However, it remains to be explored whether it is feasible to mix different types of profiles. From this proposal, we believe that it would be viable and desirable, but solutions would need to be found so that all individuals feel they have a place in the same space.

7. Conclusions

In the future, labor changes and transitions are likely to increase. Considering the extended lifespan and the possibility of living up to 120 years, individuals will need to reconfigure their life and career paths.

Currently, there is a lack of spaces to investigate and explore alternative opportunities because financial, time, and spatial constraints leave us with limited options.

Agility, flexibility, effective communication, and critical thinking are highly demanded characteristics in companies and the job market in general. However, these capacities are not always effectively trained in traditional educational paths, both in companies and outside of them.

The quality of relationships, networking, having spaces for listening, contrasting ideas, and dialog also seem crucial for continued development in dynamic environments. Since many job opportunities are not advertised on job portals but rather arise through personal contacts and relationships, the challenge is to nurture trustworthy connections.

In the workplace, specialization is often rewarded, leading to very specific tasks and limited opportunities for individuals to have a systemic and global vision of the projects they contribute to. Practical training, as proposed, offers a broader, more interconnected, and multi-sectoral perspective.

Our society does not facilitate professional reinvention, especially at older ages. Specialization throughout one’s career makes it difficult to change sectors promptly.

Age appears to matter, as reflected in the data related to the number of years people stay in the same job. Younger individuals tend to change jobs more frequently, while older adults tend to remain in the same position for longer.

When a person is excluded from the job market and is older, the difficulties seem to multiply, particularly due to age discrimination. The challenge, in this case, is to remain employable, as reinsertion becomes more challenging than transitioning.

Intergenerationality is key to valuing learning and innovation opportunities in these spaces. Apart from benefiting from generations with different experiences and knowledge, the diversity of life cycles can be inspiring when planning for a long life.

Those are the main reasons, including the need for further analysis as presented in the considerations and limitations section; this article proposes that individuals and society dedicate time to design spaces for experimentation, research, and evaluation. This will make transitioning between jobs and life scenarios more accessible, healthier, and more enriching.

Ultimately, if we are going to live for more than 100 years, promoting rotations and transitions, beyond what is necessary, becomes beneficial. Changes keep us alive, youthful, and connected to our life purpose and benefit companies and consequently the job market. Collaboration emerges from diverse and intergenerational spaces, leading to effective sharing of responsibility for sustainable projects and communities in the long term.

It seems that if we were to consider implementing more hybrid spaces—public-private, intergenerational, spaces for both learning and action, professional and personal growth, experimentation, and exploration—many of present’s challenges could find more efficient, effective, and sustainable solutions.

Acknowledgments

Many thank the main client of iLABi, the Employment Agency of the Madrid City Council and the entire MARES ecosystem (developed within the European initiative Urban Innovative Actions), the European project to which mYmO was affiliated during those years, which enabled and supported the project and its execution, providing us with a space for its development.

Many thank the trainers: Belén García; Alfonso Basco; Antonella Broglia; Belén Cantenys; Belén Espiniella; Blanca Fernández; Carmen de la Mora; Conchi Gallego; Guiomar Morales; Ignacio Condés Obon; Ignacio Nardiz; Irene García Carpena; Luzas Zugasti; María Jesús Sueiro; María Miranda; Marian Mayor; Marimar Amodeo; Miguelangel Gutierrez; Mónica de la Mora; Nora Miralles; Nuria Gómez de la Cal; Patricia Pareja; Paula Moreno; Sara González; Silvia Gómez Cisneros; Vanesa Andrés Manzano; Vega de Hoyos Aragoneses; William Hartley. Many thanks to the mentors: Antonio Herrán Palacios; Beatriz Pérez; Belén Pérez Castillo; Carmen Jodra; Charo Lopez; Cristina Rubio; José María López Arias; Luis Luis Rodríguez; Luis María Lopez Aranguren; Mar Andreu; María Jesús Muníz; Rafael Fernández-Almagro; Susana Salcedo Macías. Many thanks to the advisors: Alvaro de la Mora; Blanca Fernández; Elina Rusakevich; Grabriella Bossio; Isabel Ochoa; Luis Arrabal García; María Escrivá de Romaní; Roberto Espinosa. Many thanks to the evaluators: Vega de Hoyos Aragoneses; Elisa Durán.