Fiona Nolan Employment Project & Enterprise Manager Northside Partnership

1. Job Rotationa new concept of Labour Market Integration developed under the EQUAL at Work Programme Fiona Nolan Employment Project & Enterprise Manager Northside Partnership

2. EQUAL at Work Private Sector Site • Job Rotation Programme developed in 1 of the 4 sites under the EQUAL at Work programme • Located in Northside Partnership • The site targeted the development of interventions that linked long term unemployed, social excluded people with training and employment opportunities • Aimed to meet the overall EQUAL at Work programme objective of attempting to develop new and more inclusive models of recruitment and in-work progression

3. Stakeholders • Northside Partnership • Dublin City University • FIT Limited • Blanchardstown Partnership • Northside Business Network • FAS • SIPTU

4. Stakeholders • Small Firms Association • Clondalkin Partnership • Co-operation Fingal • Rural Dublin LEADER Company • National Training & Development Institute • Dept of Social & Family Affairs

5. Target Groups • Long Term Unemployed • Lone parents • Persons with a physical disability • Persons with a mental disability • Early School leavers • Members of the Traveller community • Disadvantaged Women

6. Target Groups • Homeless people • Ex-drug mis-users • Ex-prisoners/ex-offenders • Refugees

7. Job Rotation Refers to models for continuing education and training where the unemployed are systematically trained and educated to substitute for employed workers while they go into further education and training

8. Origins of Job Rotation • Since late 1980’s Job Rotation has been developed and mainstreamed as an active labour market tool in Denmark • Job Rotation originated in Denmark as a collaborative development amongst trade unions, employers and training institutes

9. Job Rotation • Job Rotation meets the EU Employment Strategy in the following areas: • As An Active and Preventative Measure • As a tool to address change and promote adaptability & mobility in the labour market • As a means to promote development of human capital and life long learning • As a tools to promote integration of and combat discrimination against people at a disadvantage in the labour market • As a tool to promote business competitiveness

10. Why Develop Job RotationCreating a Win Win Win • Promotion of company competitiveness • Active labour market intervention • Social partnership approach

11. 1. Job Rotation promotes Competitiveness • Meets company training needs • Improves qualifications/skills of employees • Further motivates the work force • Core element of sound staff development • Helps develop an adaptable and skilled workforce • Helps companies to avoid loss of production during periods of training

12. 2. Job RotationAs An Active Labour Market Tool • Provides training and qualifications for unemployed persons • Brings unemployed persons closer to the labour market • Provides training & further qualifications for employees – strengthening their position in the labour market • Can prevent bottlenecks occurring in employment sectors

13. 3. Job Rotation as a Model of Social Partnership in Practice • Job Rotation demands close co-operation between employers, trade unions, training institutions, unemployment centres/organisations, local employment services and welfare services • Job Rotation increases understanding between social partners • Job Rotation can act as a catalyst to promote further innovative ways of co-operating in partnership

14. What does Job Rotation Offer Employers • Job Rotation is a highly flexible concept & can adapted to the individual companies involved • The ability to release employees for staff development/further training using Job Rotation means that companies avoid production losses while their employees are under-going training

15. What does Job Rotation Offer Employers • In company Job Rotation employee ‘mentors’ are trained by the project to support the unemployed substitutes • Companies, after completion of Job Rotation have a pool of skills (unemployed) trained relief labour to draw on for replacement workers • There is no commitment required by an employer to find a permanent job for the unemployed person at the end of the rotation period.

16. How Does Job Rotation Benefit Employees • Job Rotation provides employees with further training to improve their qualifications through general and/or specialist training. • Specialist training reinforces employees links with the labour market and strengthens their position within the company • Job Rotation also provides the employee with an opportunity to take part in team building and personal development with a view to returning with enhanced levels of confidence and greater self knowledge

17. What does Job Rotation Offer the Unemployed • Provides specific skills training relevant to employer needs • Real work experience • Recent ‘employer reference point’ • Opportunity of being offered employment upon completion of Job Rotation phase

18. Implementation ofJOB ROTATION Margaret Walsh EQUAL at Work Private Sector Site Project Co-ordinator

19. Identifying the Company • 2 private sector companies involved • Keelings Distribution – 900 employees • Freshways (Kerry Group) – 300 employees • Each company had an upskilling and recruitment requirement • Key to success – employer led

20. Job RotationImplementation Stages • Formation of the Job Rotation Team • Agree outline of Job Rotation Plan • Agree contract of co-operation between all parties • Identify company employee training needs • Identify training specs and agree training plan for unemployed • Identify process of information dissemination to employees • Identify company personnel who will be trained as mentors

21. Job RotationFreshways Kerry Group • Project Team assembled with representations from EQUAL at Work, Freshways,Trade Union and employee representatives • Co-operation contract agreed and signed • Job Specifications and Skills Profiles assembled • Identification of training needs of employed undertaken • Training programme for unemployed agreed

22. Job RotationFreshways Kerry Group • Recruitment of unemployed undertaken through NSP Local Employment Service, referral organisations, FAS Employment Services and local advertising • Interviewing of unemployed included employer • Unemployed Participation Contract agreed • Employees for upskilling identified • Employee mentors identified

23. Job Rotation Training Plans Christine Campbell Training Manager Optimum Limited

24. UnemployedPre placement training objectives • Have clarified career and personal goals • Commence the process of developing a positive self image • Become more personally effective in terms of confidence and capabilities, facilitating personal growth • Become more persuasive in their interpersonal relationships • Have enhanced communication and negotiation skills

25. UnemployedPre placement training objectives • Contribute effectively in teams • Increase levels of self esteem and a more optimistic outlook for the future • Develop a professional work ethic • Make the transition from unemployment to permanent employment as smoothly as possible

26. UnemployedPre placement training Programme Content 2 week full time training programme, that included: • Programme Briefing • Team Building • Improving Self Esteem • Sales and Customer Service • Manual Handling • Assertiveness

27. UnemployedPre placement training programme content • Communication Skills • Presentation Skills • Career Planning • Decision Driving Training (Nifast) • Basic Information Technology

28. Mentoring skills training objectives • Clarified and enhanced their roles as mentors • To be able to effectively advise, support and guide the unemployed participants on the programme • Understand the practical issues relating to the mentoring process • Demonstrate an increased range of mentoring and communication skills

29. Mentoring skills training plan Training was delivered over a two day period and included the following: • The mentor and learning process • Assessing developmental needs • Coaching styles • Managing 1-1 discussions • Seeking and giving information • Reviewing and giving feedback • Objective setting

30. Employee training objectives • Build an understanding of teams and how they best operate • Build on their team working capabilities in order to achieve group goals through synergy cooperation • Understand how to manage professional relationships through learning high impact negotiation skills • Learn to routinely utilise effective selling skills

31. Employee training objectives • Understand the importance of a high standard of customer service • Undergo formal training and assessment in key safety driving skills through Nifast • Undergo food safety and hygiene training tailored to their role in Freshways

32. Employee training plan A 5 day training programme specifically tailored to meet the needs of the employees. Training included: • Assertiveness • Negotiation skills • EHOA Primary Course in Food Hygiene: Introduction to Food Safety & HACCP • Manual Handling • Decision Driving Training (Nifast) • Achieving excellence in sales • Customer service

33. Job Rotation Freshways Kerry Group • Employees briefed on Job Rotation • Pre-placement training for the unemployed commenced • Employee mentors undertook 2 day training programme & were assigned to ‘buddy’ an unemployed person • Following completion of pre-placement training, the unemployed were placed in company to ‘work-shadow’ employees they were replacing • Rotation commenced – employees are up-skilled and replaced

34. EQUAL at Work Job Rotation Programme Outputs for Unemployed • 16 unemployed received training • 13 were selected by the employer to participate in the Job Rotation phase. • Upon completion: • 62% offered employment contracts • 15% progressed to other employment • 23% dropped out for personal/health reasons

35. EQUAL at Work Job Rotation Programme Outputs for Employers • 40 employees received up skilling • Other outcomes: • Higher skilled workforce trained without affecting service delivery • More inclusive recruitment policies and practices • Increased mobility within the company • Increased adaptability • Increased motivation • Increased company competitiveness • Increased sales turnover