Building Bridges Across Generations | The BRIDGE Project for Youth Work

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In today’s ever-evolving workplace, generational differences can lead to misunderstandings, tensions, or even conflicts—particularly in youth work and social work. How do we ensure that younger, tech-savvy professionals and experienced veterans with a wealth of knowledge work seamlessly together? The BRIDGE Project was created to answer this question by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual respect across generations.

Why the BRIDGE Project?

Generational gaps in teams can create barriers to effective communication and cooperation. Seniors may bring holistic perspectives and years of expertise, while juniors excel with digital tools and fresh ideas. Yet, this diversity often goes untapped due to a lack of recognition or structured collaboration. Adding to this challenge, the imminent retirement of the baby boomer generation threatens to create a knowledge deficit within organizations.

The BRIDGE Project sought to address these challenges by building understanding between generations, enabling effective knowledge transfer, and ensuring that youth work remains high-quality and future-ready.

Goals of the BRIDGE Project

The project had dual objectives:

  1. Content-Focused Goals:
    • Raise awareness about the strengths of juniors and seniors.
    • Identify opportunities for intergenerational learning and collaboration.
    • Develop methods for sustainable knowledge transfer and management.
  2. Outreach Goals:
    • Create practical tools, such as a framework concept, handbook, and policy brief, to guide other organizations in implementing intergenerational strategies.

How It Worked

The project was implemented through three key phases:

  1. Building Bridges
    National working groups conducted research and training sessions to explore generational dynamics and potential. A collaborative framework was developed based on survey results and partner insights.
  2. Crossing Bridges
    Partners developed and tested methods for knowledge transfer and management, refining their approaches through workshops and training. These methods were compiled into a detailed handbook.
  3. Bridging the Gap
    Recommendations for organizations, professionals, and policymakers were formulated to ensure sustainable intergenerational collaboration. These were compiled into a policy brief.

Key Results

The BRIDGE Project produced three invaluable resources:

  • Framework Concept: A guide to raising awareness about generational strengths and fostering collaboration.
  • Handbook: Practical methods for retaining and transferring knowledge within organizations, ensuring continuity despite staff turnover.
  • Policy Brief: Recommendations for professionals, organizations, and policymakers to promote cooperation and communication between juniors and seniors.

 

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