Employment policy and integration

Employment policy is a central part of Zoom e.V.'s activities and interests. We examine the basic objectives and structures of employment policy as well as its interchange with other policy fields such as social, education, labour market and economic policy.

We presume a potential multiple goal orientiation of this field: depending on its design and framework employment policy may individually be aimed at the work integration and social inclusion of unemployed people as well as having positive effects for the development of the community and local economy.

In this broader sense, employment policy should not be designed and used to prevent the utilisation of social services and income support, but rather to open up individual opportunities to the unemployed and to generate new employment possibilities. Beside approaches to promote workintegration in the "first labour market" this demands the creation of protected employment possibilities in not-for-profit organisations, individually taylored qualification measures and finally the offer of assistance with wider social inclusion needs.

In various projects Zoom e.V. has dealt with employment policy and has contributed significantly to the development and discussion of prospective concepts. The field of employment policy is currently and will continue to be a vital part of our work.

Currently we adress employment policy approaches for certain target groups: Since several years Zoom e.V. has been concerned with the labour market situation of elderly people following the question how to design active labour market policy for them. Within the framework of a regional employment pact for people beyond 50 in Lower Saxony we are in charge of the evaluation of measures for elderly unemployed people. Further we take part in the setup of a transition management from school to work particularly for disatvantaged youth. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health we analyse which approaches for the integration of addicted are nationwide followed by the job centers.

Completed Projects:

Implementation of a new concept of counselling by the Federal Employment Agency
The implementation and impact of BeKo is beeing evaluated nationwide by the Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (project management), Zoom e.V. as subcontractor and two other institutes. The evaluation was started January 2012 and ends September 2013. It contains interviews and written questionnaires with unemployed, counsellors as well as trainers, experts and management at local, regional and national level. (Duration 02/2012-12/2013)

Evaluation of the project "Work in Grone – Work for Grone"
Grone is a part of the city of Göttingen. The project "Work in Grone – Work for Grone" was implemented by the Employment Promotion Agency Göttingen (Beschäftigungsförderung kAöR) and funded by the programme BIWAQ. Zoom e.V. was responsible for the evaluation of the project. (Duration 2008-2012)

PINGUIN
As subcontractor to the Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (SOFI) Zoom e.V. and two other organisations evaluate the implementation of the pilot project “Internal, integral support for work integration” by the Federal Employment Agency. (Duration 2008-2011)

Study: Work integration of social security recipients with addictions
On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health Zoom e.V. did conduct a survey of best-practice for the work integration of social security recipients with addictions. (Duration 11/2008-06/2009)

Coalition for jobs II
Zoom e.V. did evaluate the implementation of the "regional coalition for jobs for people over fifty" in the southern part of Lower Saxony. The programme was funded by the Federal Ministry of Work in the context of the national programme "prospects 50plus – regional coalitions for jobs". (Duration 2008-2010)

Contact: Nils Pagels