On June 9, 2015, at the University of Opole a scientific conference was held "Relationships between age and labour market. 50+ Age a chance or a threat?" under the patronage of His Magnificence Rector professor Stanisław Sławomir Nicieja, habil. PhD and Polish Academy of Sciences Branch in Katowice.

The conference organisers were:
Department of Strategic Studies and Socio-Economic Policy, Faculty of Economics, University of Opole
Voivodship's Labour Office in Opole
Statistical Office in Opole

The conference was a summary of the achievements of the Opolski Observatory of Labour Market III research project implemented by Voivodship's Labour Office in Opole under the Operating Program Human Capital from the European Social Fund, in particular the project segment devoted to the issues of demographic changes occuring in the region and their consequences. In order to obtain the added value, research carried out as part of the project was compared with thematically related scientific activity of Faculty of Economics of University of Opole and Statistical Office in Opole. The aim of the conference was to exchange experiences, develop conclusions and findings important due to the extremely important problem of professional activity of persons aged 50+. This issue, although closely related to the labour market, also concerns other aspects of broadly understood social policy, as well as issues related to managing human and social capital of this category of employees. The conference topics were particularly important due to aging process of Silesian society, problem of depopulation (its causes and effects), the phenomenon of unemployment, poverty and exclusion or changes in the fuction of contemporary families. The conference was intended to create an interdisciplinary platform for mutual cooperation between research centres and public institutions dealing with labour and social policy issues.

During the conference Director of the Statistical Office in Opole Janina Kuźmicka presented information about "Situation of persons aged 50 and over on the labour market in Opolskie Voivodship - statistical approach", while the senior specialist of Opolski Centre for Regional Surveys Magdalena Skalik presented "Taxonomic analysis of the spatial differentation of the situation of persons aged 50 and over on the labour market by voivodships". Other speakers representing, i.a. Voivodship's Labour Office in Opole, research institutions and universities from neighbouring voivodships presented papers on the managemnt of human and social capital of employees aged 50+ in voivodships: Opolskie, Dolnośląskie and Śląskie. The issue of the labour market was also discussed in the context of changes in the demographic structure of the population in the new European Union member states.