Struggle Against Joblessness
In the heart of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region, the city of Düsseldorf is taking bold steps to combat long-term unemployment. The city's Department of Social Affairs has developed a multi-faceted strategy that includes targeted initiatives such as Working Opportunities Plus, Working Opportunities "Work & Learn German," the implementation of the Participation Opportunities Act, and the i-Point Work Locations.
Working Opportunities Plus (AghPlus) is a program designed for unemployed individuals with multiple barriers to employment. This program offers tailored job opportunities combined with support services such as skills training, counseling, and integration assistance. Its goal is to provide long-term unemployed persons with sustainable pathways into the labor market through place-and-train approaches.
Another significant initiative is Working Opportunities "Work & Learn German". This program addresses language barriers, a significant obstacle to employment for many long-term unemployed or migrant workers. It integrates practical work experience with structured language learning to improve job readiness and social integration.
The Participation Opportunities Act, implemented on January 1, 2019, aims to integrate long-term unemployed individuals into socially insured employment relationships. This act focuses on enhancing social participation and inclusion, specifically targeting disadvantaged groups including the long-term unemployed by promoting equal access to training, vocational rehabilitation, and employment programs.
i-Point Work Locations are specialized local work and service centers providing comprehensive support for job seekers. They facilitate counseling, job placement, training opportunities, and social support in convenient community settings. i-Point locations act as hubs for coordinated services to address complex barriers faced by the long-term unemployed.
These strategies create an integrated system combining employment opportunities, language training, social inclusion policies, and accessible support infrastructure to reduce long-term unemployment in Düsseldorf.
In the past year, 104 out of 217 participants completed the AghPlus program. 113 people are still in the ongoing project. Of the 104 participants who completed the program, five were placed in employment, and 21 in publicly funded employment. The i-Point Work location in Garath is funded by the communal employment promotion funds.
City Director Burkhard Hintzsche has explained that integrating long-term unemployed individuals into the labor market is a major challenge. However, the city of Düsseldorf invests 2.2 million euros annually in combating long-term unemployment, demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing this issue.
By the end of December 2019, the job center in Düsseldorf had concluded 454 employment contracts with various employers for various activities. In 2019, over 1,000 long-term unemployed people were advised at i-Point Work locations, of whom around 70 percent received unemployment benefit II. There are 250 funding places available in the AghPlus program.
The city of Düsseldorf's efforts are not only focused on employment. Approximately two-thirds of the advisees completed the consultation at the i-Points with a concrete individual result. Vocational orientation is provided on-site at the i-Point Work locations to support long-term unemployed individuals. The city's tailored projects and offers for people affected by long-term unemployment directly counteract entrenched unemployment in the districts.
AghPlus offers individual support to help participants gradually approach the labor market and maintain and promote their existing resources. The offer of communal employment promotion is seen as supplementary to the offers of the job center.
Since 2016, there have been five i-Point Work locations in Düsseldorf: Wersten/Holthausen, Rath/Mörsenbroich, Oberbilk/Flingern, Eller/Hassels-Nord, and the recently opened Garath. These locations, along with the city's other initiatives, are making a significant impact in reducing long-term unemployment in Düsseldorf.
- The city's Department of Social Affairs has instituted a financial investment of 2.2 million euros annually towards business initiatives, such as the AghPlus program and i-Point Work Locations, aimed at combating long-term unemployment in Düsseldorf.
- To ensure long-term unemployed individuals have equal opportunities in the job market, the Participation Opportunities Act in Düsseldorf focuses on education-and-self-development by providing access to training, vocational rehabilitation, and employment programs.
