in.arbeit – digital

Brief description

For many years sheltered workshops for people with disabilities (WfbM) have been using a wide range of concepts to promote inclusion to counter the risk that new social spaces are created by or in WfbM that are not sufficiently integrated into municipal or regional social spaces. Accordingly, decentralisation approaches can be found among these concepts, which are realised through external work groups, company-integrated work groups or outsourced individual workplaces. However, the proportion of decentralised workplaces nationwide is only slowly increasing. In general, statistics show that transitions from a WfbM to the open labour market occur significantly more often from decentralised (individual) workplaces than from any other type of arrangement, which is why the creation of such transition-promoting framework conditions is essential.

The in.arbeit-digital project aims at a consistent decentralisation based on the approach of the so-called Bamberg Model.  In the medium term, 15% of in.arbeit employees are to be employed in (individual) workplaces integrated into the local community. Systemic limits to decentralisation that have become visible and are evident in the low level of decentralisation nationwide are to be reduced or eliminated with the help of digitalisation. Digitalisation should not only be used selectively, but should be considered systemically as a design element and used where it has strengths compared to other implementation options or can use efficiency potentials. The target groups of digitisation are therefore employees, specialist staff and (potential) employers, but also relatives, colleagues or providers of training or qualification programmes.

Accordingly, the project focuses on designing digitalisation in such a way that a WfbM can achieve a higher degree of decentralisation while at the same time maintaining economic efficiency and thus create new / additional participation opportunities for employees with disabilities in the social sphere as well as higher-quality vocational participation.