Learning in everyday work life - Be fit at work

Research project with employees 50 age and over

The research project of the Department of Psychology, Unit of Developmental and Educational Psychology, at the University of Bonn dealt from 2013 to 2018 with the fact that due to the increasing portion of older individuals in our society and due to the increase of the retirement age, the job market and employee structure in companies will be increasingly characterized by older individuals. The idea of the project was to promote employees age 50 and over as competent employees in the company, in order to open up reasonable prospects for them in the time up to their departure from career life and beyond. On the other hand, this should show companies opportunities to profit long-term from the often very high level of competence of the elder employees.

In the framework of the research work, many different companies and adult education centers offered courses for employees aged 50 and over. Stress management, cognitive and psychomotor training were part of these courses, as well as the strengthening of personal competencies. The results of the study have been published in a handbook for training for professionals entitled „Lernen im Arbeitsalltag - Fit im Beruf. Ein Handbuch zur Weiterbildung für Berufstätige 50+" (ISBN 978-3-8325-4952-7).