The Dutch company Rosa Werkt recently signed a contract with the municipality of Rotterdam to help people with work disabilities become employed. The goal is that people with an occupational disability will soon start working in the Westland greenhouse horticulture sector. Maaike Vreeswijk from Rosa Werkt: "Many people with disabilities have been without work for a long time, while there is an urgent need for labor in the greenhouse horticulture sector. These people often want to get started with work again and we help them with that."
Previous projects in which job seekers in Rotterdam were helped in the Westland horticulture sector did not succeed. Rosa Works has learned from this, especially that guidance and training are essential in the success of the project. According to Maaike, the limitations of these potential new employees were not sufficiently taken into account. "The employees will have the opportunity to work part-time if this fits better in terms of physical load, and it has been agreed in consultation with the clients that different start and break times can be used."
Rosa Werkt is committed to providing extra support for job seekers on the work floor. The employees will be picked up and taken home by a driver during the test placement, while the driver will also be on the work floor as a director. Maaike: "This gives employees a one-to-one contact."
During the trial placement at one of the training locations, employees have a chance to get acquainted with the work. Maaike: "This test placement lasts four to six weeks, and the client is given the employees free of charge for two weeks. If deemed suitable, the employees will then be assigned to Rosa Werkt, after which we will be able to place these employees permanently. They remain under contract with Rosa Werkt, so the client has the guarantee that he always has sufficient staff, while the job seeker is no longer dependent on the municipality of Rotterdam."
Rosa Werkt, in collaboration with Custo & Partners, makes the performance measurable with the RGGS program. This abbreviation stands for Result Focused and Motivated Collaboration. With the information from this program it can be determined how an employee functions and what his or her strengths are.
Incentives for employers
In addition to people with an occupational disability, Rosa Werkt will also assist other job seekers who qualify. Maaike: "For example, an illiterate person can't read and write, but they can do a good job as a tomato picker." In the face of potentially slightly lower productivity, there are financial incentives for growers that should stimulate the hiring of the disabled.
For the project, Rosa Werkt is still looking for additional clients who want to help people with an occupational disability to get work. Maaike: "The more clients that participate, the better."