“When you seek a job and you are 55 years old, you can feel that you are not attractive for an employer,” states Zuzana Galbaniová. “You do not even feel like answering the adverts where a young dynamic team seeks someone flexible who fits in,” she adds without bitterness, even though she was unemployed for more than a year.

In her youth, Zuzana used to work as an interpreter and translator. Then she moved to Italy where she spent more than twenty years with her family. Unfortunately, her marriage did not last long, so she returned with her three children back to Czechia. After she managed to find accommodation, she started looking for a job. However, it was not easy even with her language skills - apart from Italian she also passed the state examination for English. “Interpreting is time-consuming and the jobs often last until late hours. It is quite difficult at my age. And I wanted to be with my family at home in the evening,” describes Zuzana. The children managed their move to Czechia well; however, the youngest 16-year old daughter needed occasional help with her studies.

Zuzana went through several interviews. “Unfortunately, I have to say that I occasionally felt age discrimination. Although the older people do not understand computers as good as the young people they still have life experience, can see the whole picture, are precise...,” she reflects on the reality on the current job market. 

“Then, I saw on the TV a story about a project which offered a free babysitting retraining course. It was exactly for me - in Italy, I worked with little children as a volunteer for more than ten years. I did not hesitate a minute!” Zuzana went to the Employment Office and they sent her to the project implementer – the Healthcare Institution in Prague 4. They operate a total of 7 children's groups, which were transformed from former day nurseries, and due to a subsidy from the Operational Programme Employment they offer unemployed women aged 55 - 64 years-old the possibility to complete a babysitting retraining course designated for children at the age before attending school, including a final qualification exam.

“It is a quite expensive thing - the price of the course and exam is about 15,000 crowns which is a price unemployed people cannot afford,” says Dana Zichová, the project manager. The qualification exam entitles them to obtain a regulated trade license called “Care of children of the age up to 3 years in a day regimen” (according to Act no. 179/2006 Coll.) and to work as a babysitter in children's groups.

“When we published the information about offering this free course, the interest of women and the media exceeded our expectations,” adds the project manager. Several women reacted to this information. They could accept only 15 of them. However, they did not have to make any selection because some of them changed their mind when finding out that the course would last for about four months. Zuzana belonged to those who started the course in March.

The course consisted of 80 hours of theory (safety rules, first aid, teaching hygienic habits, pedagogy, industrial relations, etc.) and 80 hours of practice in children's groups and kindergartens to try working with younger and older children. Throughout the course, a motivation psychologist and job consultant were available.

The course was completed with a final exam. “It was not for free,” laughs Zuzana. “The most difficult part was a practical part in which we had to demonstrate on a child figurine how to give first aid,” describes Zuzana. All participants passed the final exam.

What is the most important thing - Zuzana will start working as a babysitter in a children's group for the children of the employees of the Academy of Science from September. “I got a tip from our job consultant; the interview and subsequent practice went well so I already signed an employment contract. I will look after 14 children at the age from two to five years and there will be two of us, which is really better than in the standard kindergarten. I am a bit worried but on the other hand I look forward to it a lot,” concluded Zuzana happily.

The course will be opened again for 15 women next year.