45 PLUS: Ako úspešne zvládnuť stredný vek a objaviť nové horizonty

The aim of the project was to support men and women aged 45+ in their professional and personal development, to increase their openness to change, and to strengthen their interest in lifelong lear...

The aim of the project was to support men and women aged 45+ in their professional and personal development, to increase their openness to change, and to strengthen their interest in lifelong learning. The project addressed the needs of the general public, employees, entrepreneurs, and unemployed individuals who, at this stage of life, often face job changes, new challenges, and the need to develop soft skills. Our intention was to create practical outputs accessible to the general public that would remain usable beyond the end of the project and contribute to the long-term support of career and personal growth of the 45+ target group. An important part of the project objectives was also to strengthen cross-border cooperation between Slovakia and the Czech Republic, facilitate the exchange of experience in working with this target group, and develop outputs that can serve as a foundation for further development of topics related to midlife, intergenerational cooperation, and work-related changes in the context of ongoing globalisation and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence across all sectors of the labour market.

The project combined analytical, educational, and creative activities implemented in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In the initial phase, we conducted a values assessment of the target group using the Barrett Values methodology, complemented by individual in-depth interviews, in order to accurately tailor the planned outputs. This was followed by meetings with experts in psychology, HR, age management, and finance, whose insights and recommendations were incorporated into the content development. The project also included workshops in Slovakia and the Czech Republic focused on intergenerational cooperation and the best practices exchange. Outputs were created in both Slovak and Czech and published on a project website. All materials underwent peer review and quality control by project partners and external experts. The project results were disseminated through the project website, social media, a promotional video, media coverage, a TV report broadcast by regional TV, and targeted e-mailing. Regular partner meetings ensured effective coordination in line with the project timeline, clear task distribution and monitoring of milestones. Project and admin activities were aslo documented for reporting and archiving purposes.

The project delivered concrete, free-of-charge, and publicly accessible outputs. We created an e-book and e-learning course in both Slovak and Czech versions, complemented by self-reflection exercises and audio recordings for all lessons. We also organised workshops in Slovakia and the Czech Republic focused on intergenerational cooperation and sharing best practices. A series of inspirational stories of people aged 45+ was published on the project website, presenting real-life career transitions and supporting the motivation of the target group to engage in learning and career change. The project outcomes were further presented through a short promotional video and an accompanying TV report broadcast by regional TV. We developed infographics summarising key findings and recommendations, as well as checklists and additional inspirational materials supporting adult education. The website provides access to all outputs in a clear and user-friendly format and is optimised for both mobile and desktop devices. The project also generated significant intangible results: strengthened Slovak–Czech cooperation, the exchange of know-how, and the creation of a sustainable framework to use the outputs beyond project's lifetitime.