English version - All Inclusive @ Work

Our labour market is subject to a couple of radical transitions:

Keeping more people employed and keeping them employed longer.
Evolving towards a knowledge economy, thereby eliminating a pack of short- and middle schooled jobs, some of which have already disappeared, and augmenting the number of bottleneck jobs.
Focussing more heavily on developing skills through workplace learning. Although this creates opportunities, it also demands a significant effort to shape this even further and to support employers and workplaces in making this a reality.
The evolving policy of social economy: now more than ever, career development is key, keeping in mind the inclusion of more vulnerable groups on the labour market.
The influx of refugees on the labour market, who without a doubt possess qualities of their own, but, looking from a realistic point of view, might not always meet the expectations of employers.
…

To make use of this available working potential, adjustments to the current policy are needed. More and more companies stand before this social challenge of inclusive entrepreneurship. An inclusive company aims for a profit and is being led by a strong vision and values. All employees, including those vulnerable on the labour market, contribute to the company’s goals. An inclusive employer lets their employees perform according to their own ability, from a profit’s perspective.

Integration of vulnerable groups on the labour market is an important investment which demands a permanent effort. Reality however, is that a lot of simple tasks and activities have become part of increasingly complex job positions. As a result, opportunities for people at the bottom of the market have decreased or are being limited to positions with unappealing labour conditions and environments.

As long as supply and demand no longer connect, we have to develop new methodologies to find good matches and to guide people with a certain distance to fitting labour on the market. In short, we will have to create jobs that fully comply with contemporary social demands.

All Inclusive@work – a transnational ESF-project that gave us the opportunity to integrate expertise from the Netherlands, Finland and Bulgaria into our approach – is supplying building stones for inclusive entrepreneurship to companies by offering an integrated case:

Inclusive Job Design
Job and Language coaching: support during employment, focusing on 3 levels:
- Participant/employee
- Direct supervisor and working environment
- The organisation itself (creating an environment where inclusive job design is an option as well, learning environment, …)
Workplace learning and validation of skills obtained through workplace learning.

Would you like to receive more information about inclusive entrepreneurship, our methods, approach and the results of the All Inclusive@work project? Contact us via the contact form.

This project came together in collaboration with the following partners:

WEB tries to guide people with a certain distance to the labour market to sustainable work by developing different local initiatives. Not only do we offer support, coaching and guidance to the most vulnerable groups on the labour market, we develop our own initiatives in social employment as well.

I-Diverso is supporting companies in expanding their development-oriented HR-policy. We try to unburden employers who want to work around inclusion, diversity, disadvantaged groups and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We do this by offering advice, screening and selection, coaching, education and grant support.

Compaan is a social organisation who believes firmly that every talent is employable when working and entrepreneuring inclusively. Within East Flanders, Compaan wants to be a pioneer in sustainably, efficiently and effectively activating and integrating underused talents on the labour market. To reach this goal and a sustainable economy, Compaan is working closely with the business world through the use of good practices.

Group INTRO is an organisation who focusses on personal growth above all else. Together with employees, partners and other companies we try to reach an inclusive society. We do this by offering employment, development, coaching and advice for employers, employees and job seekers alike.

Employing people with a certain disability. You want to, but you don’t know where to start? You may be in doubt because you don’t think the effort is worth the cost? Or because you can’t see any opportunities within your organisation? Kairos will help you in making the right strategic choices to employ people with a disability. As a rule, we start from the employer’s point of view and try to find a solution that fits the company’s vision. If needed, we develop inspirational sessions to create support from the parties concerned or courses to shape their required skills. Afterwards, we support the implementation as well.

Sterpunt Inclusief Ondernemen represents and supports the not-for-profit suppliers of education, coaching and workplace learning ‘de Werkplekarchitecten’. Sterpunt has been active since 1991 and is recognised by the Flemish government as an interlocutor in the industry. We also take part in the structural policy consultations promoting our 5 points of action on the Flemish labour market:

Beginning work experience for youngsters
Education – work experience – workplace learning – trajectory operations
Special support needs (work disability and chronic illness)
Career support (career and transfer guidance)
HR-support with job and language coaching; BIO-booster, workplace advice, outplacement and other formula.

Our core assignment consists in supporting our member’s supply and stimulating consultation, cooperation, expertise and renovation. We promote and sensitize on inclusive entrepreneurship and work at employers and stakeholders.

Voka, Chamber of Commerce Mechelen-Kempen, consists of about 2800 organisations, including small and medium-sized companies, multinationals as well as liberal professions, in the entire economical industry. It is a unique network of entrepreneurs and the most representative employer organisation in the region of Mechelen-Kempen. Supported by the Voka Alliance, we try to play a neutral and representative part in stimulating and supporting entrepreneurship through a vast offer of activities, networking events and customized service. In striving for inclusive entrepreneurship and searching for suitable employees, Voka is supporting companies in developing a future-oriented talent- and educational policy, with a focus on workplace learning (for example through WELT https://www.voka.be/mechelen-kempen/welt).

Disworks is a Dutch knowledge and research centre which aims to improve the labour market position of people with a disability. To reach this goal, founder Dr. Brigitte van Lierop develops, implements and tests different tools and methodologies, including Inclusive Job Design. Passionately and knowingly she is working on making companies more inclusive, not only as an independent advisor and researcher, but as a manager, project leader, project advisor and working foreman as well. Inclusive Job Design is playing a prominent part in this.

Seinäjoki Joint Municipal Authority for Education consists of the vocational training centre Sedu on one hand, and the adult education Sedu on the other. Our organisation is one of the biggest educational suppliers in Finland, comprising of 4.200 students and about 600 employees. Our adult courses focus on working through competence-oriented qualifications. These are attained via workplace learning in organisations. In the end, this method helps in improving the competitiveness and quality standard of business activities, because the supplied courses and services are customized to the organisations we are working with.

Kaks' Kättä workshop is a Finnish organisation with a distinctive social scope: offering work to unemployed youth and the elderly, as well as people with a disability. Apart from work, we offer support and coaching to employees regarding conditions and career questions as well.
Kaks' Kättä workshop and Vocational Education Centre Sedu are working closely and increasingly together. Kaks' Kättä is offering a learning environment where students with a stronger need of individual guidance, training and support regarding conditions and attitude, can attain their degree through workplace learning. This is an opportunity for those who are having problems in the traditional educational system, who are at risk of dropping out, or who left the educational system without any qualifications.

Bilsp - the Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy – is an independent Bulgarian NGO created in 2001. Our organisation is specialized in projects regarding social inclusion, HR, labour market, and so on. Bilps employs 15 experts and can rely on a pool of more than 40 external consultants to collaborate with.

Within the subjects mentioned above, our organisation provides:

Project management
Consultancy services
Training
Developing evaluation tools
Developing strategic plans, programs and projects
Economic and social analyses
Social audits

The past 5 years we executed more than 30 projects (including a couple of ESF-projects), around supported employment and inclusion of vulnerable target groups among other things.