Building bridges in the primary labour market

Standardised certificates make it easier for people with disabilities to find work

The target is the primary labour market. For two years, five young people who have completed their training have been working hard for this in the Neumarkt Jura workshops of the Lebenshilfe association for people with disability. The result of their efforts are certificates which confirm successful completion of vocational education and training and which are also intended to indicate to employers the areas in which people with disabilities can work particularly effectively. In future, the intention is to issue these certificates across Bavaria as standard.

In order to underline the importance of this inclusion project, Emilia Müller, Bavaria's Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, presented the first certificates and related documents in person as part of a ceremony in the Jura workshops.
The Minister was accompanied by Markus Schmitz, Chairman of the executive board of the Federal Employment Agency's regional office in Bavaria.

Schmitz explained that the public sector provides a significant amount of money for the vocational qualification of people with disabilities. 3000 people in Bavaria undertake vocational education and training which lasts for 24 months, and which, according to Schmitz costs approximately €70 million every year.

Emilia Müller is aware that, "if you have a certificate showing what you're able to achieve, then your prospects when searching for work are improved." She explained that the new certificates were "recognition and confirmation" of the vocational qualifications of people with disabilities and would also make it easier for potential employers to assess applicants.

The certificates from the workshops for people with disabilities (WfbM) not only record the basic specialism as per the general training plan, but also important individual qualifications and higher-order skills - for example if somebody is able to drive a forklift truck. Work placements, which have also been successfully completed, are listed here, but no grades. As the minister, Emilia Müller, explains, this helps to ensure transparency and "to avoid Frustration".

The standardised certificates therefore provide significantly more detail than those previously used across many areas. The collaboration of people with and without disabilities has now been enshrined in federal and European Union legislation, for example in the brand new Federal Participation Act.

The official proposal of the Federal Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs relating to this was submitted last Tuesday. This will come up for its first hearing on 24 May, before the draft is likely to be passed by the German Federal cabinet in June or July.

Michael Girschik, Lukas Kuhn, Susanne Reiser, Mara Schurig and Marvin Stojanov have, however good reason to smile as, thanks to their WfbM certificates, they have good prospects of gaining a job in the primary employment market which is in line with their skills and which enables them to exist independently.

Josef Mederer, President of the District Assembly in Bavaria has the figures to hand. "In 260 workshops across Bavaria, 34,000 places are available for work and training for people with disabilities. In 2014 these cost the Bavarian regions approximately half a billion euros," summarised Mederer, making it clear that, "people with disabilities should have the freedom to choose what they would like to do and where they would like to work," adding that the certificates were "a significant step in the right direction".

Markus Schmitz explained that in terms of inclusion, a person with disability going through vocational education and training is merely the start. He explained that if collaboration with non-disabled people is going to work, then it is necessary to improve starting conditions and to provide assistance. It was clear right from the very start that vocational education and training in workshops is "not equivalent to traditional dual education and Training".

We have no illusions about the actual extent of the ratio of disabled employees. This is not being achieved at the moment in many companies, but "if somebody is able to perform outside in the general labour market then we must enable him or her to do that," stressed Emilia Müller with a clear emphasis.