Lier (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The city of Lier helps low-income residents find lasting jobs with Jobroad and Jobatelier+. Annemie Goris (N-VA)says 81 people joined visits; 100 more will get help soon.
AS VRT News reported, Lier, a small historic city in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, is helping people with a low income to find work. They work with a group called Jobroad. This group helps each person one by one. They look at what someone is good at and what kind of job fits them.
Annemie Goris from N-VA says that everyone gets help made just for them. Jobroad does not give the same help to everyone. They look at what each person needs. He mentioned that some people have not worked for a long time. Others have trouble with school, language, or feel unsure. Jobroad gives them support to find a job that suits them.
How is Lier helping 200 people on benefits find work?
The city also gives help through Jobatelier+, which is a group training program. People join together to learn how to apply for jobs, write a CV, get ready for interviews, and look at job offers. Officials mentioned that working in a group helps them learn skills and also gives them support from others.
Annemie Goris (N-VA), alderman for Social Affairs, says the city’s way of helping people on social assistance is working well. People are happy with the help and say they learn a lot. They also feel more sure about looking for work. The city also plans job fairs and visits to workplaces.
In the last 2 months, 81 people on social assistance joined 5 company visits and one job day. They went to places like Werkmmaat, Mivas, Opnieuw & Co, Albert Heijn, and a care home. These visits help people see what jobs are like and what they might want to do.
The OCMW helps people get ready for work by giving extra support. They give Dutch lessons to people who need help with the language. They also lend bikes so people can go to job interviews or training. People who cannot ride a bike can take cycling lessons.
The OCMW also helps people get a driver’s license. The city says this plan works well and wants to keep going. They will keep working with Jobroad. In the next 3 months, 100 more people on social assistance will get personal help to find a job.
The city has already used this idea before with people from places like Afghanistan and Ukraine. One time, a Ukrainian woman who worked with VDAB helped other Ukrainians. She spoke their language and knew their culture. This made it easier for her to help and encourage them. Officials mentioned that this kind of support is very helpful for people who are new to the country or have not worked in a long time.
“People get the stimulus from people from their own & culture who motivate them. That lowers the threshold to work.”
Annemie Goris (N-VA), alderman for Social Affairs in Lier
