Joblessness lasting more than 6 months is a major factor preventing young people from getting (re)hired, with potentially grave consequences: lost production, increased social spending, decreased tax revenue and slower growth. On a personal level the impact on the young job seeker is no less devastating and includes; loss of confidence & self-reliance, depending on social benefits, etc. In any given month, a newly jobless young worker has about 20 to 30 % chance of finding a new job. By the time s/he has been out of work for 6 months, though, the chance drops to 1 in 10. The skills mismatch in youth labour markets has become a persistent and growing trend. Many of these young people are not only early-school leavers, lacking qualifications, relevant skills & work experience but more and more it affects third-level graduates who cannot find a first job. Nordström/Skans (2011) show that an unemployment spell of more than 51 days subsequent graduation increases the probability of unemployment 5 years later. That’s why Journey to Work kicks in !
What is behind this Best Practice Model (local, regional, national)
The Journey to Work programme is based on a Scottish-Dutch collabouration. The Dutch elements are based on the best Dutch ‘Work First’ practice also knoiwn as the ‘Werkcenter Model, tailored on people far from the labour market (‘One size fits all , to avoid stigma’). This model was born as a Welfare to Work Social Innovation model in 2005 under authorities of local government (municipality Papendrecht), initiated and founded by Pieter van Schie. It developed into a private international social commercial enterprise which was specialised in getting people in employment on a local level and expanded to a regional (15 Werkcenters) and national (covering 250 municipalities) business network concept. The Werkcenter Model emerges in all variants in municipalities still, and currently emerging in many different entrepreneurial variants in the European Union as well.
‘Work is treatment and treatment is work!’
It’s important to address that in this project the professionals working with young people far from the labour market (e.g. people in recovery, but also recent graduates) were given the space and flexibility they needed to find the best solution. Although mind-set and rules are important the ‘One size fits all approach is just the starting point, to see what works and what does not work… A tailor made approach is necessary to avoid mistakes made and to try to cope with the thresholds and hurdles labelled and see what ‘ a person can do’: ‘From Work to Work, that’s the way it Works’ or rather ‘Work is treatment and treatment is work!’
A New Chapter
Journey to work has proven to be a special chapter in the lives of a lot of Journey to Work students: Stella, recent graduate, and one our JTW6 students in Holland says: ,, I really discovered my qualities: I felt very comfortable being independent, living on my own and taking care of me self. My memory, friendliness, communication skills and organization skills have improved. I have had a great time, had lots of fun, but always also had to deal with the Corona rules and policies and maintaining discipline throughout my stay in the Netherlands. Yes, I think that as a person I have some great experiences and was offered a lot of encouragement and solutions when needed.”
Brandon: ”It’s been an amazing experience. I felt a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but after a couple of days I felt really at home in Holland. And now I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. Werkcenter supported me a lot and we made a plan how to continue and pick up my life in scotland.”
The Werkcenter Model is a comprehensive local approach which is taken up to regional, national and international level: Werkcenter is the centre of a programme for young people to benefit from a work experience. Through a simple structured approach with jobcoaches and lifecoaches,, it improves the position of unemployed people (like people in recovery, but also recent graduates: ultimately the mix is the best of both worlds) in the job market immediately (providing work experience) , while, at the same time, improving their long-term employability: the development of individual working skills is vital, but it can only be delivered when young people have access to meaningful work. That is where the Werkcenter Model comes in: Werkcenter jobs are not simulated but real and varied work experiences.
Outline
Outline of the Werkcenter programme, activities and approaches used:
• Gatekeeper approach (One size fits all)
• ‘Everybody can do something’ is better than ‘everybody must do something’
• Everybody who can work gets an job offer
• No thresholds, (multicultural) life coaching, job coaching, job hunting, preventive illness/absent culture policy
• Regular labour is better than simulated labour
• Full worthy job, full worthy salary (salaries = 120 % of benefit), stands above simulated labouring (=work with
a benefit)
• Zero-hour contract: the more you work the more you earn
• Responsibility is better than too much care (‘betutteling’)
• Opportunities above boundaries
• ‘2nd chance’ principle
• Win-win-situation for all (municipality, employer, employee, Werkcenter, social partners and society).
Target groups
(Young) Unemployed people, recent graduates, people in recovery, people far from the labour market, (young) people with fewer opportunities, people with special needs, and/or NEETs (Not in Employment, Education nor Training).
From Work to Work, that’s the way it Works
Objectives
Creating local employment in times of crisis: bringing a real contribution to the improvement of the social position of unemployed people and the unemployed in general through work and entrepreneurism. The overall philosophy of the Werkcenter Model is ‘From Work to Work, that’s the way it works !’ is aligned to encourage (learning to) start-up, (self-)employment and job search at all stages.
Journey to Work: Paid Interships
The Documentary ‘Unpaid Internships’ of Joshua Krook, featuring a.o. our Werkcenter director Pieter van Schie MA explains perfectly that unpaid internships are a worldwide phenomenon, which does not really give young people the good start on the labour market and can be described as a ‘Work Experience Paradox’. The Journey to Work programme provides to our young people what is necassary during these Corona times.
Good Practice
The ‘Work Experience Model’ has been used so far in more than 250 municipalities (that is half of all municipalities, including the big cities of Amsterdam & Rotterdam) in the Netherlands. Through the years the Werkcenter approach also added digital professional guidance for the young jobseeker. The Werkcenter concept is been benchmarked in the Netherlands in the top 3 in 2008 (Divosa Benchmark) and is implemented in several municipalities with the same level of success (Best small municipality Voorschoten (2009) and also used in European programmes like Your First EURES Job (2013), Werkcenter Jongeren Papendrecht (Good Practise IDELE 2006), ‘Future Move (Good Practice LLL LdV PLM 2012), Future Move II (nominated Good Practice LLL 2014), Way to Work (Part 1 and 2), From Work to Work (Erasmus+ Good Practise 2014) and the Journey to Work programmes (Erasmus+ KA1). It’s also set up and used in Average rate of people getting a (new) job: A success rate of 85%. Pretty good !
Do you want to read some testimonials, click here:
- Rebecca’s Journey – How it is going?
- Journey to /Work – Solving the Young Jobs Puzzle
- More testimonials coming up
Disclaimer
Journey to Work - From work to Work, that's the way it Works 