VOLUNTARY NETWORK HELPS THE UNEMPLOYED FIND JOBS

Job Seekers with Drive (Ledige med Drive) is a voluntary network in which the unemployed help one another find jobs. A woman who had lost her job proposed the idea. Part of the INSP! cultural centre in Roskilde the network is autonomous and collaborates with companies, trade unions, unemployment insurance funds and the local job centre.

Long-term unemployment can lead to feelings of isolation, not only in terms of the labour market but also daily contact with others. In general the efforts of municipal job centres and private operators do not take people’s social needs into consideration.

When Mette Gudman lost her job, she proposed the idea for Ledige med Drive, coming up with the idea because she missed her co-workers and thought others out of work must feel the same way. INSP!, a creative cultural centre, supported the idea. The network focuses not only on finding a job but on feeling good when between jobs. There is a wide variety of activities, ranging from weekly visits to companies and spicing up applications, CVs and profile photos to sharing tips on good personal presentation. Members eat breakfast together every Friday, sing, go for walks and do yoga. Ledige med Drive has three focus areas: 1) understanding yourself and talking about yourself, 2) well-being while job hunting and 3) close contact with companies. Since 1 January 2015, out of the 443 members, more than 124 have found a regular job, 33 have started internships, 13 are in subsidised employment, 12 are on a training course and 4 are in job rotation schemes. Even though the project is based on voluntary effort and anonymity, Roskilde Municipality’s Job Centre is certain that the network also provides socio-economic benefits, but to an unknown extent. It is not measurable, since the entire project is based on voluntary effort and anonymity.