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Background |
Ex+Job
consists of the charitable organization "Soziale
Dienstleistungen e.V.
" (SLD) and the charitable limited company
"Arbeit und Freizeit GmbH" (AuF) both
situated in Wunstorf, in the Land Niedersachsen.
In 1984, the organization has leased an old
farm which is listed under a preservation order
but was at that time in very poor condition.
However, they started a "business"
as second hand shop right away. The local job
centre helped with the extension and restoration
of the building by supporting unemployed teenagers
and older trained building workers while they
were working on the premise. Since the beginning
the farm has permanently grown and so did the
programme of the organization.
"Ex+Job
Arbeit und Freizeit GmbH"
is a Sozialer Betrieb (a sheltered employment
firm) providing vocational qualification to
the long-term unemployed, who are registered
with the local job centre and handicapped people
having participated in vocational reha-bilitation
schemes. The later is the main task of SDL who
take care of and work with people suffering
from a psychologically determined illness. Their
medical and vocational rehabilitation is SDL's
predominant objective. Training is provided
on the basis of continual measures offering
the opportunity to join the project at any time.
Working hours are individually agreed considering
the participants abilities. The aim is to permanently
reintegrate people into the labour market. This
should be done by means of gradually creating
jobs which come up to individual abilities and
therefore, increase efficiency of work. Greatest
possible independence of financial support for
the integration and of wage costs subsidies
is to be strived for after the termination of
the measures. Staff at Ex + Job"Arbeit
und Freizeit" mainly consists of previously
unemployed persons and people who are difficult
to place. More than 50 per cent of temporary
employment could be trans- ferred into permanent
jobs. A primary objective is to increase that
number. |
Services |
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- SDL
delivers various services to the special
group of the unemployed suffering from psychologically-determined
illness whose reintegration into the primary
labour market faces even higher difficulties
- medical
and vocational rehabilitation measures (6
months each): qualified personnel in the
fields of medicines, psychology and nursing
provide step-by-step help lo learn again
how to work and to make a profession an
essential part of life. They offer advice,
instruction and support to get back to an
independent life and to re-enter the labour
market. SDL also offers information and
advice to others working or living with
handicapped people.
- out-patient
ergotherapy: After an assessment of skills
and abilities individual goals are set to
prepare for future employment.
- accompanied
living since 1983.
- a psychiatric
home.
- Jugendwerkstatt
(youth workshop) offering a 12-month vocational
integration and qualification programme
for 15 young people. Ex + Job is responsible
for vocational education, general education
is provided by the district adult education
centre.
- Teenagers
applying
- should
not be older than 24 years,
- have
to be registered as unemployed,
- must
have performed their compulsory school attendance.
There
is a weekly information session on the whole
programme which is often followed by a more
intensive personal guidance talk.
- AuF
offers the following fields of activity:
- employment
in their own second hand shop for used musical
instruments and used or new musical accessories,
- employment
in their own furniture department which
has been the "branch" Ex + Job
started to work in. They offer a collecting
service of old furniture, restoration of
the pieces, sale and delivery.
- employment
in their own second hand shop for children's
and adults' clothes, they also have new
clothes on sale that are sewn by their employees.
- collecting,
repairing as well as environmentally friendly
and expert disposal of old refrigerators,
the electrical appliances are completely
dismantled and most of the single components
are recycled.
- employment
in their building trade section: they specialize
on restoration of old buildings and need
people from various skilled trades.
- employment
in their carpentry: they operate a joinery
cooperating with the building trade section,
a restoration workshop for old furniture
as mentioned above, and building works for
exhibitions and shops.
- employment
in their catering trade: they offer meals
and beverages as well as a cultural programme
on a regular basis
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Good
Practice
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single programmes are tailor-made for the specific
needs of the individual participant. In the
particular case of unemployed people suffering
from a psychologically determined illness this
proceeding shows the most positive effects on
a future reintegration. The course of measures
is flexible meaning that a person is reintegrated
into a project even if he or she has become
ill again. The "AuF" works in different
fields and branches, offering a variety of opportunities
for the unemployed to work in.
The
successful aspects of Ex+Job
are based on the fact that the workshops are
part of the market and at the same time offer
medical and vocational rehabilitation, accompanying
care in practical trainings and transition
into social-nursing employment. The whole
project has already attracted a lot of public
interest and esteem.
Future
Development
It
will always be an objektive to look for new
market niches or gaps in the market that are
suitable to establish a field of activity.
Ex+Job
does not feel to be an unequal competi-tor
to commercial suppliers just because they
receive subsidies. Everybody in business has
the chance to define his own working area.
First come first served. AuF is planning to
produce new products out of recycled materials
to take up the work they already do in the
field of carpentry and electronics. Additionally,
they want to establish a service to help with
housekeeping in form of accompanied living
at one's own home.
Ex+Job
does a lot of transnational work in the European
Social Fund Schemes to improve the transition
of mental ill people from hospital to open
employment.
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Partners are:
The
Working Well Trust in London, GB
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Introducing
transnational Partners
from Working Well Trust London
into the new recycling plant (1998)
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Epagelmatiki Katatirsi in Komotini, Greece
The Centre Of Women´s Studies at Trinity
College, Dublin, Ireland |
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