LEARNING PROCESS FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE: POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES OF LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE

This article was originated from a research conducted with elderly workers who live in small towns in the mountain range of Rio Grande do Sul. The main objective is to analyze the way these workers perceive their learning at work. Therefore, 20 formally employed elderly workers were interviewed, from both sexes. Semi-structures interviews were performed through the Content Analysis data processing technique, and two categories have been stablished a posteriori: learning and digital technology. The outcomes, which were achieved by utilizing the arrangement between theoretical features and the elderly's discourse analysis, included aspects of brain functionality, learning, digital technology, and the market place. It was shown that the learning process occurs throughout the whole life cycle, and there should be better opportunities for the elderly to keep active and healthy at their workplace. A good strategy for this is through digital inclusion, which can challenge and encourage elderly workers to go after knowledge. Along with being employed, acquiring knowledge of digital technology is a source of cognitive stimulant and also a way to achieve independence and autonomy, which can lead to well-being and quality of life for people in this stage of life.