„Empower yourself” – motivational tools for supporting professional activity and wellbeing of people aged 55+; it is a complex developmental program, addressing the issues of social and professional exclusion among Europeans in their preretirement age, that is 55+. The exclusion results from not adjusting to modern labour market, workers’ not investing in personal development, perceiving one’s actions as meaningless, feeling less involved and motivated to undergo a change. As a result, workers aged 55+ are often facing the necessity of performing work that is below their ambition and qualifications (or they resign/give up completely); there’s stress, professional burn-out, the values that constitute a pillar for acting and coming to a decision in life are forgotten. To approach those problems we need wise, adjusted to the ever changing reality, education in wok-place as well as to create conditions for employees’ 55+ development. In the process of the change it is important to tailor the work tasks to the performed function (job crafting). It is also essential that emloyees 55+ experience physical, emotional or cognitive effort invested in the work (wellbeing). The partnership between 3 nongovernment organizations, with different scope of activity (Poland – Hungary – Norway), is thoroughly prepared to develop complex solutions for specific needs and abilities of particular target groups. Therefore the main object of the partnership is to enhance professional potential of coaches and HR workers by operating in innovative developmental project allowing employees aged 55+ to learn how to trigger and increase professional involvement by focusing on internal sources of motivation. Most important parts of the project are the actions aimed at involving workers 55+ in initiatives that introduce changes to their work, using their own assets, strengths and qualifications. As a result they should feel more in control (not only professionally) of their lives which should enhance their further development and professional activity. The project will result in developing and distributing a program, which includes three stages of cooperation with people aged 55+: DISCOVERING – ACTIVITY – EMPOWERMENT. Stage I – DISCOVERING, that means diagnosis. Starting the process, entering the program means identifying a level of satisfaction in employees 55+, their values (HR specialists/coaches can use dedicated tools, prepared in frames of the project). The desired effect is to create together a Map of Personal Change, that should show particular areas of work, exercises for individual or group training. Stage II – ACTIVITY, training to change. That means intensive, efficient, individual approach in working on areas that the participant decides to change, with the support of their coach/HR specialist. It contains 48 SCRIPTS FOR CLASSES: includes innovative methods, techniques and tools used in non-formal education enhancing personal development of people aged 55+, based on the best developed practices and new, first introduces activities. The scripts include, among others: building responsibility for undertaken tasks, team work, working on values, how to express one’s thoughts to be understood, communication between generations, sense of meaning, motivating as well as enhancing workers’ involvement, techniques that protect employees aged 55+ from professional burn-out, important rules for triggering high energy levels in 55+ workers, overcoming barriers and motivating. Furthermore, the project should be completed with multimedia material, 30 video workshops on “Mindfulness as a way to improve quality of life and work”. Each film is a 10 minute lesson, containing VO instructions from the coach. Those individual attention trainings exercise mind and are dedicated to people aged 55+ who would like to learn how to manage stress and negative emotions. The training should be also helpful in depression prophylaxis among preretirement population. Stage III – EMPOWERMENT, CASE STUDY – four good practices in working with people over 55 years old, taking into account job crafting and wellbeing, based on how Norwegian companies operate. Instead of empty marketing slogans, we show a real situation that can be confirmed by the third party. The experiences are for the coach/HR specialist to get inspired and implement interesting suggestions to their own work. Authenticity, storytelling and pictures are also an important asset. Partnership finds it crucial for the participants to take part in open pilot meetings, in process of assessment, in evaluation of reached results, in open discussions with the teams managing the project and in promotional/distribution meetings. The results of the project should bring new methods, tools and materials that perfectly correlate with new challenges for UE strategies in aid of growth from 2010 to 2020, which includes development of economy based on knowledge and innovation.
The Empower Yourself Trilateral Partnership formed by NGO with different types of activity (Poland - Hungary - Norway) decided that the development and adaptation to the needs and capabilities of selected target groups of a comprehensive solution in the form of an innovative programme will be an important measure to support the professional potential of trainers and HR staff, and will enable employees aged 55+ to learn how they can release and increase their professional engagement. The initiation and implementation of activities aimed at developing an innovative development programme supporting the concept of lifelong learning gives a great opportunity to promote the perception of education of people 55+ as an integral part of the whole human life, its infiltration into the institutions working for the benefit of people 55+ in the EU and the workplace, involving, among others: HR departments, entrepreneurs, leaders. The MAIN OBJECTIVE of the PROJECT was to increase the professional potential of trainers and HR employees by working with an innovative development programme enabling employees aged 55+ to learn how to trigger and increase their professional involvement by focusing on internal sources of motivation.
Increasing the demand for knowledge and participation through effective activation, guidance and motivation strategies is in line with the strategy of the established Partnership. The changing situation on the European labour market indicates the need for greater use of the potential of working age people aged 50 and over. This requires (already now!) taking measures focused on retaining experienced employees in companies. It is advisable to: initiate professional activity, select appropriate development programmes and manage generational diversity. The answer to these problems is only wise workplace education adjusted to the changing reality and creation of conditions favourable to the development of people 55+. In the process of this change it is important to match the work performed to the function performed (job crafting). It is also important that the effect of the physical, emotional or cognitive effort put into work is felt by the older worker (wellbeing). THE IMPLEMENTED PROJECT COMPREHENSIVELY RESPONDS TO THE NEEDS OF 2 TARGET GROUPS: PERSONS AGED 55+ (among others: with low soft competences, with low motivation for changes in social and professional life) AND TRAINERS AND HR STAFF IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT.