Transnational network in reality - experiences and cultural differences in the Employment project in three countries

Moderator:	Lisbeth Kristiansson, Co-ordinator Swedish EG Program office in the county of Jönköping
Participants:	Margit Ferm, Empowerment, Sweden Silke Ulrich, Empowerment, Germany Elisabeth Haslinger, Empowerment, Austria Barbro Ribert, Empowerment, Sweden Gabi Schreiber, Empowerment, Germany
Documentation:	Kerstin Ernerskog, County council in the county of Jönköping, Sweden
Hostesses:	Anna-Carin Nero Elisabeth Ek-Hallberg
Program:	Projects - summary Discussions – Summary Result of the projects so far

Projects – summary:

1. Empowerment for Women, Sweden

Target group: Unemployed women from 35 to 61 years old

Aim: To prepare ourselves for the labour market and to become self-supporting. To increase our quality of life and to create a new profession – the co-ordinator.

Method: To work on a "grass-root" level, to improve our health, to increase self-reliance, to take control over your own life, to believe in the future, daring to plan for it, to get an understanding for other cultures/transnational partners.

Groups: 6-7 members in each group with two co-ordinators. The co-ordinators were trained for a period of 5-8 weeks. Some of their tasks are to create a safe atmosphere to see to that everyone is allowed talk to a full step to listen with a creative ear to pay attention to the members’ needs and wishes.

The group members will give each other feedback, make each other understand that you are OK as you are, learn to accept feelings and to help each with the individual career plan.

 

2. Project Empowerment, Austria

Institution: Vienne Red Cross, supported by AMS (Arbeitsmarket Service) and EFS (European Social Fund)

Aim/purpose: Vocational rehabilitation of long-term unemployed persons, also with psychosomatic impairments.

Participants: 34 persons (32 women, 2 men), age 25-52 years old, most of them low-qualified.

Duration: February -98 – September -99

This project is based on three phases:

1. Self-help phase/reflection phase – 2 months

The participants are guided by psychologists to strengthen their self-consciousness and for group-dynamic processes, to get the possibility to speak about their situation. This phase also included leisure-time activities, etc.

2. Changing phase, 3 months

30 hours per week theory with some practical elements, like excursions. This phase is for training the social competence, dealing with conflict situations, communication training, foreign language (English), training in computer skills and lectures in social topics.

3. Educational phase, 12 months

The participants are employed at the Red Cross for 30 hours per week. They are trained for the professions as home care assistant and assistant for elderly people in theory and practice. Besides the regular elements, the practice includes the work in nursing homes and homes for handicapped people.
The project included time for preparation before the start of the first phase, and after the end of the third phase.
After successful completion of the project, the Red Cross will take over the participants in its "Health and Social Service" operation.

3. Empowerment, Chemnitz, Germany

Institution: VbFF e. V Chemnitz

Partners: Sweden and Austria (that is, 1 and 2 above)

Duration, education: 10 women 98-02-01 – 98-11-30 and 10 women 98-10-01 – 99-07-30

Special aspect: Psycosomatical impairments, due to unemployment

Aim: Long-term unemployed persons get special training to increase their chances to come back to labour market.

Method: Phase 1 – planning. Individual career plan

Phase 3 – changing. Vocational training in different subjects

Phase 4 – creating new jobs. Work placement in Germany, Sweden and Austria

Discussions – Summary

There are close points of similarity between the projects:

• the statue of health connected to unemployment
  • After a short time in unemployment, the person puts in a disadvantage. The society as well as the individual attitude of unemployment have an important influence on the experience to be needed or insignificant. This is a point, which influences the self-confidence.
  • The mental health of the participants has been recovered by the projects. It’s uncertain to say anything about how the physical condition is recovered depending on joining the projects.

The difference between the projects:

• The result of the Austrian project – the participants get job after the period.
• The result of the Swedish project – at least a few of the participants get job.
• The result of the German project – the participants will probably not have any jobs after the period because of the difficult labour market, especially for women.

The motivations of the participants – are there any difference between the projects?

• The participants in the Swedish project hope that they can get a job after the period, but it’s not their primary aim.
• The participants of the German project are searching for jobs but if it is not possible, find any other employment, like education – to make the best of the situation. 60% of the women in Chemnitz are unemployed.
• The participants in the Austrian project are motivated because they have great possibilities to get jobs. It is important for the participants to really believe that they are capable to get a job after the period.
• You must want to change your situation of life and it must be your own choice. You must begin with personal development – it can be a hard work but necessary. You must dare.
• The co-ordinators are very important for helping the participants to find what they wish to do, what they already can do, and to eliminate the fear.

Individual plans

• The individual plans are a very successful way to work – better then collective solutions. The focus is on what each participant needs and wishes. It is an expensive way to work but it’s the only way for success.
• Since the results of the Austrian project are predestined jobs, it is not necessary to make up individual plans for the career.

Miscellaneous

• The mainstreaming in all projects is equality.
• The experience is that it is difficult to engage men in projects like these. Women discuss in groups and work in groups more than men do.
• If only men could be motivated and if the model would be adapted to men’s situation, it could work in a very good way. The models can be applicated also to other projects. It could be an exciting possibility for development for both men and women to mix groups and work with such projects.
• The personality is more important than whether you are a man or a woman, when participating in a project.
• For a successful project, it must be implemented in all levels and also transnationally. A vital point is that the participants inform about the project. You listen to the participants rather than to the project leaders.
• To become more creative, you have to build up your self-confidence and self-knowledge.
• One of the aims in the project is to help each other and to help yourself. You choose – do something or do not.
• It is important to believe in yourself and accept yourself as you are.
• It is important that the co-ordinators come from the target group. They can understand the participants, sharing the same background.
  

Result of the projects so far

• Different networks – in different levels - transnational networks. This expands the understanding both within the countries and outside the international borders.
• The transnational co-operations are very important for the development to find solutions of the employment.
• Some of the employment offices have changed their attitude towards the unemployed and have an increased understanding for the situation these persons live in.
• The public authorities notice new/another solutions and possibilities of unemployment during the international networking.
• Some of the unemployed that have been participants in the projects have got job.
• Red Cross in Austria takes over most of the participants in the project to work in the professions as home care assistant and assistant for elderly people.
• You widen the way to understand your own qualifications and your own power. The society does not tell you what you have to do or not.
• The method of working with the individuals and the individual responsibility can be used in many other fields.