A key pillar for the success of a company in business is its ability to succeed in a global, rapidly changing labour market. This can be achieved only if the workforce is qualified, skilled and flexible, thus it is clear that an emphasis should also be put on staff development. Development can be achieved in many ways; one of them is through lifelong learning supported by universities. This paper presents e-learning study materials developed by academics in the Department of Machine Design (DMD) at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME) at the University of West Bohemia (UWB). The study materials focus on design projects from industrial practice. There are several projects and each one focuses on a specific machine. The outputs from all the projects are e-learning pdf files. These study materials contain all the important information which a designer usually comes into contact with, for example: drawing documentation, a 3D model, calculation reports, welding technology, etc. These study materials were developed primarily for full-time students at the Department of Machine Design to rectify their lack of practical knowledge. When the project was completed it became clear that these study materials could also be applied in the context of lifelong learning. The Institute of Lifelong Learning at the University of West Bohemia offers courses and training for companies and the general public. The courses for employees tend to be narrowly focused on an area specified by the company. Public courses are not designed for training individuals. Open courses are periodically arranged in the spring and autumn of each year to train groups. Due to the narrow specialization of engineers who work in industrial practice, there is a loss of continuity in education in other areas of mechanical engineering. The elearning study materials are comprehensive and include knowledge from different fields of engineering. In a new job, these study materials can help an employee to study the problematics before starting work in another field, and possibly even shorten in-company learning. Study materials can also help to a large extent during a job interview. The study materials were created in cooperation with experts from industry according to currently valid technical standards.