B.I.J.M. van der Heijden

Ageing and careers: European research on long‐term career development and early retirement

Purpose – This paper aims to introduce a collection of papers about “ageing and careers” that contributes to the literature on two career‐related topics, i.e. long‐term career development and early retirement.Design/methodology/approach – This paper explains the topics, provides background and discussion of the main concepts.Findings – The paper briefly introduces the six papers in this special issue, their main findings, and the future directions for research that they suggest.Originality/value – The paper frames the issues and extends the overall knowledge in the field.

Employability management practices in the Polish ICT sector

This article examines current career thinking and employability management practices within the Polish Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The aim of this contribution is to identify career management problems and to determine obstacles for implementing employability management practices at a company level. Semi-structured interviews aimed at establishing company needs were conducted with 18 managers of small and medium-sized ICT enterprises in Poland. These firms appear to apply various developmental approaches to stimulate competitive advantage. Faced with a more demanding environment, firms aim for versatility rather than adopting simplified solutions. Managing the careers and employability of ICT professionals is acknowledged as vitally important for the survival and development of ICT companies.