MainArbeit coordinates a transnational network of pilot projects
27.10.2023
Even with a significantly improved situation on the job market, many jobseekers supported by the MainArbeit job center find it difficult to find a job and secure a living for themselves and their families through earned income. A lack of language skills and qualifications, as well as problems in the family, in the social environment and in the personal sphere often stand in the way of rapid integration into work. The advisors at the job center therefore often need a great deal of patience and patience in developing tailor-made solutions to problems and prospects on the job market.
In order to develop new concepts and test them in practice, MainArbeit has acquired funding from a European Union program to promote social innovation. The aim is to develop holistic support and improve cooperation between authorities and providers. MainArbeit has teamed up with a consortium of six administrations and social institutions in Hungary and Slovakia. These include the social administration of the seventh district of the city of Budapest, the labour administration of Slovakia, non-profit organizations and a scientific institute.
The application for EU funds was successful. The project was one of only nine in Europe to be selected for funding. The project was launched at the beginning of 2022 and the partners have around 1.1 million in European funding at their disposal for 2.5 years.
CRIS, the name of the consortium, is the program. It stands for "Cooperate, Reach Out, Integrate Services", i.e. cooperation, outreach advice and collaboration between services such as employment services, social authorities, housing offices and private social organizations.
Matthias Schulze-Böing is leading this consortium on behalf of MainArbeit and can draw on his many years of experience with international projects and his good standing on the Brussels stage as former Managing Director of MainArbeit. It was also important for the European Union to use the project to contribute to the use of experience and know-how from the German job center system, which is internationally regarded as exemplary, and to provide impetus for the development of similar services in other countries.
Bulgarian families receive more intensive support
In Offenbach, the project funds are used to provide more intensive support to Turkish-speaking Bulgarian families receiving benefits. In addition to unemployment or jobs with very low incomes, these families often have other problems. For example, homelessness, health problems and challenges with the children's school attendance. These problems often prevent them from finding work, creating a vicious circle from which the families cannot escape on their own. Thanks to the funding, MainArbeit was able to appoint an additional case manager with special language skills, Serdan Damar, who works with the families to find solutions to their problems. The aim is to develop this form of advice to such an extent that it can be incorporated into the Jobcenter's regular operations once the project is completed. This is quite a challenge, as ways must be found to reconcile the additional staffing required at times with the available resources at MainArbeit. "Identifying families with special care needs and empowering families to solve problems independently are particularly important. We don't want to create islands of care in the long term, but rather promote independent action," explains Régine Bozon, head of the Offenbach project.
The experts from Hungary and Slovakia recently paid a two-day study visit to MainArbeit. Managing Director Susanne Pfau explained the legal basis and working methods of the job center. Specialists explained the advisory methods and cooperation between the various departments of the job center, with other authorities and contracted agencies. The guests from Eastern Europe were particularly impressed by the structured processes and the extensive use of digital tools. The fact that a job center can also be a lively part of urban development was demonstrated to the delegation during a visit to the Nordend district office on Goetheplatz, where district manager Marcus Schenk presented the cooperation between district management and MainArbeit and the social services offered by the district office.
"Offenbach appears to be a very well-connected city where cooperation between the various stakeholders works and a long-term strategy ensures good framework conditions. This is an important success factor for effective and efficient social policy," said Zuzana Polackova, researcher at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, summing up her impressions. There is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to building local networks in Slovakia. There is sometimes a lack of mutual trust and predictability. There is a lot to learn from Offenbach. However, MainArbeit Managing Director Pfau also sees a benefit for MainArbeit in transnational cooperation: "The exchange with colleagues from abroad forces us to constantly rethink our own practice. It also gives us new ideas. For example, our partners in Hungary and Slovakia have much broader experience in working with minorities such as the Sinti and Roma. We can benefit from this."
Martin Wilhelm, the department head responsible for MainArbeit, is delighted with the exchange and the opportunity to look beyond his own horizons: "The CRIS project and the meeting in Offenbach were important. We have to strengthen disadvantaged groups and integrate them sustainably. The approach of seeing service users as an active part is valuable and helps us move forward."