The market of educational services for seniors on the example of the offer of Universities of the Third Age

Purpose: Problems related to the aging of the population have not only social but also economic consequences. It is therefore important to draw the attention of governments and social organizations to undertaking initiatives aimed at activating elderly people and, if possible, keeping them on the labor market. The idea of U3A is rich, widespread and firmly rooted in the educational system of many countries. Universities of the Third Age (UTW), established in the world since 1973, and in Poland since 1975, play a special role in solving social problems related to counteracting social exclusion and activation of the elderly. Methodology: A trend model for the increase in the number of seniors was determined. In order to assess the phenomenon of the development of universities of the third age, dynamic indicators were used and the average rate of change of the phenomenon was determined. Findings: The aim of the article was to present the development of UTAs in Poland in dynamic and spatial terms. The conducted analysis shows that U3A enjoy great interest in Poland. The offer of universities was regionally diversified both in terms of the number of operating universities, organizational and legal form and the number of people interested in classes offered by the U3A.