Stress is now recognised as one of the most prevalent and serious work-related health problems. It is associated with psychosocial hazards and represents a challenge for effective health and safety management due to the constantly changing nature of work in today’s knowledge-based economy. Prevention of work stress is among the priorities of the European Commission as stated in the Health and Safety policy published in March 2002. The European Agency of Health and Safety at work devoted to work-related stress in 2002 a European week and an information campaign with the slogan “Working on Stress”. Furthermore, stress has been recognised as an important factor impacting learning in education and training as well as in non formal and informal training, including training in the workplace.

In this context, prevention of stress is of high relevance to quality of the learning processes in formal, non formal, informal vocational training and in the workplace with a view to increase motivation, create appropriate environments to facilitate continuing learning and allow effective use of resources.