VOL Bez vyhoření Project Successfully Completed: Two Years of Support for Women 50+ in the Labour Market

On 31 December 2025, we successfully completed the project VOL Bez vyhoření (reg. no. CZ.03.01.02/00/22_037/0002560), which from 1 January 2024 piloted a programme aimed at strengthening the position of women aged 50+ in the labour market.

The project built on the long-term work of VOLONTÉ CZECH, o.p.s. in the field of human resources development and on the database of participants from our previous training programmes. The aim was to use diagnostics and an individual development plan to improve or maintain the position of the target group in the labour market and to prevent their premature departures into retirement.

The planned target value was a minimum of 60 persons. In the end, a total of 70 participants actively engaged with the project, for whom we prepared a programme combining professional education, personal development, individual support and burnout prevention.

What the project offered participants

Over the course of the project, the women took part in a wide range of activities tailored to their specific needs:

• Accredited training in professional seniority with a certificate of completion, usable for further career advancement

• Workshops focused on health, finance and law for the 50+ age group — practical information on labour law, orientation in the pension system, financial planning and healthy lifestyle

• Development of IT skills, including an introduction to artificial intelligence in everyday life

• Training in business etiquette to strengthen professional conduct and presentation skills

• Work diagnostics and an individual development plan designed for each participant

• Individual therapy sessions focused on burnout prevention

The weekend retreat as part of the programme

The project also included a weekend retreat at the Medličky guesthouse, which created space to pause from everyday responsibilities, share experiences among women in similar life situations and restore energy. The retreat was very positively received by the participants.

What we take away from the project

The VOL Bez vyhoření project confirmed that women over fifty are not "on the way out" of the labour market. Their experience, knowledge and skills are a valuable asset — but they need space, expert support and the opportunity to work on themselves in a safe environment. The combination of diagnostics, education, individual support and prevention has proven to be a functional response to the demands this age group faces in the labour market.

Reaching 70 active participants — a number exceeding the planned target value — confirms that there is a genuine interest in this kind of focused support among women aged 50+.

We would like to thank all participants of the project, as well as our trainers, therapists and everyone who contributed to the programme. Without their trust, expertise and dedication, this outcome would not have been possible.

The project VOL Bez vyhoření, reg. no. CZ.03.01.02/00/22_037/0002560, was co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus under the Operational Programme Employment Plus.