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Improving Employment. New innovative projects for activation and reintegration of people. Why ?. … the importance of Work. The right to work is a core value of modern society
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Improving Employment New innovative projects for activation and reintegration of people
Why ? … the importance of Work
The right to work is a core value of modern society Adam Smith (1776) noted in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Book I, Chapter X) that: "The property which every man has is his own labour; as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable...To hinder him from employing this strength and dexterity in what manner he thinks proper without injury to his neighbour is a plain violation of this most sacred property."
Modern vision: How employment facilitates recovery Employment : • Reduces stigma by providing access to a socially-valued role • Few other things can be done for 8 hours a day • Strengthens self-efficacy and self-esteem • Increases opportunities for receiving positive regard from others • Increases opportunities for social inclusion • Provides time structure and a reason to stay well • Has a positive effect on health and wellbeing • Keeping and building skills
Challenges in European Countries and Cities 1- Many European cities face the same problems - impact of the economic and financial crisis; - average duration of unemployment is rising; - growing number of long-term welfare dependent; - threat of social exclusion of vulnerable groups; - growing number of multiple-problem situations; - rapid demographic changes expected in the next 5 years; - 23 million Europeans still jobless; - unemployment rate looks to remain the same well into 2012; - specific groups are effected (youth, migrants, workers on temporary contracts); - due to demographic change our workforce is about to shrink. 2- ‘Old’solutions do not work ! - bureaucratic solutions are not-practice based and lack vision - silo’s are over ! - modern solutions have to be holistic-based, multidisciplinary organised and client-centered implemented.
Employment traditional DEMAND SUPPLY LABOUR MARKET
Questions regarding employment : What to do if there is a specific demand ?
An offer you can’t refuse !!! No, you can’t be a lawyer. It’s handbag or shoes, that’s it !
Questions regarding employment What to do if there is a lot of supply ?
“In order to make a fair selection you will all get the same assignment: climb that tree!”
Employment New DEMAND Importance of Generic skills SUPPLY LABOUR MARKET Matching: demand-led
Importance of Generic and Transferable Skills in Job-programmes The skills learned, beside the working skills and worker skills (showing up on time, respect for colleagues and boss etc) are transferable, especially the soft skills or generic skills: • communication and listening • reading, writing and simple mathematics • teamwork (working together with people with different back-grounds) • learning attitude; • problem solving; • self-esteem; • motivation/goal-setting; • employability-career development.
Innovative demand-led employment-projects: 1- need to meet the needs of the employers 2- need to focus on (future) vacancies 3- need to meet the changes upon the labour-market 3- need to support people to step into sustainable vacancies 4- need to offer to opportunity of learning and training ‘on the job’ 5- need to offer development of worker-skills and working-skills 6- start with a motivational interview 7- provide guidance and support for participants with a focus on real vacancies
Rotterdam examples: 1- School-Ex programme 2- New influx in the port 3- Daad = special Employers service Desk, offering • free recruitement • training and support of candidates • coaching on the job • dedicated accountmanangers that understand the employers business • financial arrangements (a.o. wage-subsidy or subsidy of special costs) • after sales – retention. 4- Youngstersdesk = special service desk for young people, offering - guidance and support on career choises - work-arrangements - counceling on life-events and debts 5- 5% settlement 6- Fit 4 work : a new holistic based approach for long-term welfare dependend with mental health problems
The Rotterdam Approach • “Everybody can do something” • “Everyone has to participate and contribute to society” • Work = the best medicine for selfhelp and independency • Activation and reintegration support social participation • Direct Action and no “couch potatoes” • 5% Settlement as a form of contract compliance • Rentention is necessary for sustainable results
Regular Job Participation ladder Paidworkwithsupport (e.g. subsidised Job) Voluntaryorunpaidwork Participating in organisedactivities Socialmeeting outside yourhouse Isolated
5% Settlement (applied by the City of Rotterdam) • Companies tendering for orders (≥ EUR 225.000) procured by the city of Rotterdam are obliged to dedicate a minimum of 5% of the amount on creating employment opportunities for: • people on social benefits • registered jobseekers ≥ 6 months • students : combining training and employment • targetgroups : developing skills (worker- , working- and generic skills) • internships (training, support and guidance by employers) • Building the metro station at the new Rotterdam Central Station • Via the 5% settlement people were employed as traffic controllers. Their speediness resulted in more earnings for the head contractor. • Care contract (WMO) • 9 major local care providers are currently employing 120 people (women). • Taking care of our lawns • The contractor mowing the municipal grass raises the bar and uses 10% of its contract to employ people on benefits. As this labour is seasonal the settlement workforce is enabled to work on municipal demolition projects in the off season (e.g. demolition for the old SoZaWe headquarters). They are now employed all year round.
5% Settlement information-point • In Rotterdam there is a special information point for employers in order to help them achieving the objectives of the 5% settlement. • dedicated staff (5 fte) • good network with employers • understanding the needs of the employers • demand-led approach • making arrangements with employers • listing of partipcipating employers and agencies • selecting and recruiting the right candidates, based on the needs of employers • organising the education and training on the generic skills: • - communication and listening • - reading, writing and simple mathematics • - teamwork (working together with people with different back-grounds) • - learning attitude; • - problem solving; • - self-esteem; • - motivation/goal-setting • - employability-career development
Rationale of the Harbour project (1) • - economical growth and the current aging working population in the Port of Rotterdam • - demand for new personnel is staggering. Specifically, in the field of general/mixed cargo. • - the Port of Rotterdam offers work to approx. 65.000 people. Only 15.000 of them actually live in Rotterdam. • - hiring companies are all situated over 40 km away from Rotterdam. This is why few Rotterdam employees work in the harbour. • traditionally, most of the workers in the Rotterdam harbour are white males. Employers are used to hiring people via old networks (co-optation via family-relations and unions) • - employers hire mainly in age groups between 18 and 27. 60% of this particular group in Rotterdam city is from immigrant background.
Rationale of the Harbour project (2) - New Jobs are available and will be created in the Rotterdam harbour, due to the opening of the 2ndMaasvlakte. These new jobs require new skills, due to technical changes and changes in the processes - Young people have no realistic idea of what working in the harbour implies - There is no mechanism for the Rotterdam harbour that bridges the world of labour and the world of education and training - Employment services for the Rotterdam harbour need to be up-scaled to a regional approach which requires a close involvement of regional authorities on strategies and practices addressing skills offers and employment demand.
Aims of the Harbour project (1) - offer 200 preferably immigrant boys and girls each year a chance to a paid job by introducing an apprenticeship with employers in the bulk and container shipping business. - achieve a continuous learning cycle by carrying out on the job training in the cargo sector, with the aim to get a higher professional qualification. - offer dual programmes, combining working and learning for young people, where the learning objective is tailored to the needs of young people in relation to changing labour market requirements. - meet the demand for new staff in a demographically challenging context and reshape the Port’s image of being inaccessible for young people and immigrants. - provide an improved link between education and labour market.
Aims of the Harbour project (2) • support the development and exchange between: - PES = public employment services (Werkpleinen), - Education (ROC’s and Shipping and Transport College) and vocational training providers, and - employers and companies on lifelong learning and guidance to help people make choices regarding careers as well as education & training • increase involvement of social partners on local and regional level : - 24 municipalities in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region (1,2 million inh.) - PES = the public employment services (Werkpleinen), - Education (ROC’s and Shipping and Transport College) in vocational actions that can help equip people for employment with the right skills and help employers to find the skills they need.
The Harbour Project: an area-based partnership In the project the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Shipping & Transport College and DAAD employer service desk join forces to succeed in leading the Rotterdam Youth towards employers in the bulk and container shipping business. • the Port of Rotterdam Authority is the actual client • DAAD (Municipal Employer Service-desk) is project coordinator and takes care of implementation and coordination • the Shipping & Transport College is responsible for training and education, bridging the world of labour the world of education and training. • employers in the bulk and container shipping business in the Rotterdam Harbour offer candidates , after 16 weeks training and apprenticeships a contract for, at least, 12 months (52 weeks). In this “learning – working” schedule, the candidates are trained by the employers to become operational assistants. Employers offer vacancies and a job-training-program. • the Trade Unions are involved by giving their support to this new way of recruitment and job-retention
Programme for the candidates 1- During 40 weeks, the selected candidates’ schedule consists of a four day working week at the premises of one of the participating employers, and once a week a day of education at the Shipping and Transport College 2- The candidates keep their social benefits, for the first 16 weeks. 3- After these 16 weeks the candidates are offered a contract for, at least, 12 months (52 weeks). 4- In this “learning – working” schedule, the candidates are trained to be operational assistants. 5- In reality we see that, after graduation, the employees get further training to become all-round operators, so they can work multiple functions within the companies involved in the project or other companies in the harbour or in other sectors or branches of the economy in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region.
Results • A yearly influx of 200 candidates is realised. • Out of those 75% successfully complete the course. • Out of all successful candidates 80% proceed to a follow up course and train as all round operators
What makes this project unique and interesting for others ? 1- The project offers a new innovative of recruitment. Traditionally, employers are used to hiring people via old networks (co-optation via family-relations and unions) 2- Importance of training on transferable, soft skills or generic skills 3- Giving young people a realistic idea of what working in a certain field (like the harbour) implies 4- Creating a mechanism that bridges the world of labour and the world of education and training 5- Employment services need to be up-scaled to a regional approach which requires a close involvement of regional authorities on strategies and practices addressing skills- offers and employment demand.
Thank you for your attention Questions ? For further contact : Nico van de Vrie : - (former) Rotterdam director Social Affairs and Employment - Expert for the Dutch Ministry Social Affairs and Employment - Director Plusconfidence Rotterdam nj.vdvrie@planet.nl and +31-654687006
