The organisation "Lavoro over 40" was founded in 2003 by a group of people who personally experienced exclusion from the labour market in mature age. It implemented the “MAIEUTA1” project during 2009 and 2010, with the primary objective to implement the VPL (Validation Prior Learning) Model as a way to make mature workers become more self-confident and improve their ability to start their own business. Particular attention is paid to the framework for validation and certification of skills proficiency over time. This is an innovative practice but also a population segment increasingly hit by the crisis and usually neglected.