People over 60 will make up a fifth of the EU population within two years and constitute more than a quarter of it by 2020. A man who retires at 60 can look forward to some 18 years of retirement while a woman can expect a further 22 years of life according to Age and Opportunity, a national organisation which promotes healthy attitudes to growing older.

But although some 15,000 people retire in Ireland each year, only 3 per cent do a retirement preparation course.

Mr Hilary Shannon, chief executive of the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPCI) a voluntary non-profit organisation says people coming up to retirement need to plan for transition.

The RPCI prepared a statement of best practice for employers on how to prepare employees for retirement. It says that a culture should be built within organisations to demonstrate that pensioners are valued members of the "extended family of the employer". Retired employees should be kept abreast of developments within the company and be cared for and supported in retirement.

The council urges employers to encourage a positive attitude to retirement and to help people coming up to it to cope with change. It proposes that planning should start when an employee becomes 50. Employees should be encouraged to take stock of the situation to make decisions about their future and to "plan for a future without work as they currently understand it".

The RPCI statement of best practice recommends that 10 years before retirement a "comprehensive planning for retirement course should be organised for each employee and his or her spouse". This should deal with the approach to retirement; health and diet; money matters; social welfare entitlements; legal matters; personal taxation; work and leisure.

It also recommends a refresher course five years before retirement so employees can assess how their plans are progressing and consider any further steps required.

Six months before retirement a course should be offered for the employee and his or her spouse to prepare them to adjust to a schedule "without work, timetables, deadlines and working colleagues".

It should help them to adapt their relationships with spouse, family and friends.

Details of pension scheme benefits and options should be explained. Tax documents like the P45, P50 and P60 should be dealt with and advice offered on tax issues.

L Plus, the Latin numeral for 50 and L for learner), a new weekly series on RTE Radio 1 (Monday, 3.30 p.m.), explores creative possibilities for people over 50.

Presented by Frances Shanahan and produced by John Quinn, the first programme had John O'Donohue, best-selling author of Anam Chara, tell people overly-self-defined by their work and income that:

"You'd never see a trailer after a hearse."

Ada Kelly, training and development officer at Guinness in Dublin, says the company has an ongoing in-house retirement course.

She says the courses are successful because participants are drawn from all levels of management and staff.

Guinness pensioners can continue to stay in touch with the company through sport, the Guinness Active Retirement Association and by attending functions at the brewery.

Robert Grier, director of corporate affairs at IBEC, says that companies should start planning 10 years before employees are due to retire.

Larger companies should consider in-company training while smaller companies could send employees on retirement courses.

He says: "If you're 55 but running around the place as if you're going to be here forever and a day, it's necessary to sit down and say: `Look you're going into the third stage of life here'."

He believes employers have a social duty to ensure employees are prepared for retirement. He also believes it reflects well on the company.

The RPCI urges employers to maintain close contact with pensioners:

. they should offer post retirement counselling;

. a designated person within the organisation should deal with the concerns of retired employees;

. any company newsletter should continue to be sent to pensioners;

. retired employees should continue to be eligible for group health insurance schemes;

. social events should be organised for pensioners and pensioners should be invited to staff functions;

. pensioners' social network should be preserved by their continued access to canteen facilities;

. contact should be made with pensioners who are ill;

. condolences should be expressed on behalf of the company to retired employees at times of bereavement;

. an active retirement association should be encouraged and supported;

. pensioners should retain membership of any company sports or social clubs.