"Sterk aan het Werk" ('Working it') is an innovative project being carried out on behalf of ESF Flanders by ISW Limits and the Louvain-Hageland Centre for Primary Education, the Catholic University of Louvain, and the East Brabant Apprenticeship Centre.
The project aims at the reintegration of job seekers from disadvantaged groups into the job market. Finding and keeping a job is the key focus.
Many of the activities aimed at job seekers are often aimed at teaching them occupational skills, more academic skills (language, computer, etc.) and practical work-related skills (job application skills, planning and organising, etc.). An underappreciated area in all of this is sometimes the 'psycho-social component'.
We are thinking here of psycho-social attitudes, skills and conditions, such as:
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Being able to cope with stress and problems
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The absence of anxiety issues, tension issues, sleeping problems, feelings of depression, etc.
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Having sufficient confidence in yourself and your abilities
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Knowing how to care for yourself, lifestyle
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Being able to deal with conflicts
- Being motivated in your work and in your life in general
Psycho-social problems such as stress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, relationship problems, family and child-raising problems and poor social skills are often important elements in reintegration into the job market.
We have therefore formulated the following objectives within the project:
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Identifying the psycho-social competences required to get and/or keep a job.
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Developing a screening instrument to analyse and improve those psycho-social skills for job seekers.
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Developing a computer course that can be used by trainers and counsellors to support their services and for individual users.
- Developing a manual that combines theory and practical material.
