Who can help me find and keep a job?

To find a job, you have to go through different steps.

1. Think about the kind of job you want.
There are many people who could help you thinking about the right job.

• Your family. They know you well; they know what you like.
• If you are in school, ask your teacher for help. Your teacher knows what you are good at.
• And don’t forget to contact your local Arbeitsassistent (job coach).

2. Ask help to take care of money and welfare benefits.
Again, the Arbeitsassistent can help you. And remember to ask family or friends for support.

3. Now you can start looking for a job.
Ask anyone you know. Your family, your friends, your teachers and coaches. The most important person to help you find a job is the Arbeitsassistent.

 

Then you find a job. Well, you want to keep the job, right?

• Then you must learn to do your work well.
• And you must get along with the other people at work.

Don’t worry too much about this; I’m sure you’ll be fine. And there will always be people to help you. Your boss and your colleagues will be there for you. And maybe you won’t need any help.
In case of trouble, you can always count on the Arbeitsassistent.

Stefan found a job at a sawmill. His Arbeitsassistent helped him to find the job. He is very happy about the support he got:

 

“My coach at the Arbeitsassistenz went with me to the sawmill. He talked to the owner and also took care of the support issues with the Bundessozialamt. I still can turn to him when I have problems.”

 

Stefan had no difficulties learning his job.

 

“The colleagues in the sawmill helped me at first. Also my experiences in other companies in the same field have helped me to do a good job. With my colleagues I always got on well and I didn’t need help for that.”

   
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the Arbeitsassistent, they wouldn’t have found a job. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

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Are you thinking about looking for a job?

Then you should think first about what job you want to do.

• Your family can help you with this.
• Maybe you can take a course in a CBO (Centre for Vocational Education). The job coaches there will definitely help you.
• You should definitely visit the work-store of the VDAB (Flemish Service for Workers Mediation). There you will find the ATB (Service of Guidance towards a Job). The ATB will guide you and help you think about what kind of job suits you.

You should also think about your money.

• Maybe you are entitled to some special benefits.
• Or maybe you will loose benefits when you start working.

Again, ask the CBO or ATB for help. Some people also turn to the OCMW (Centre for Social Welfare)

To find a job, you can also count on the job coaches of the ATB and the CBO.

You can always count on the coach of the ATB if you have questions related to work. With his support, you’ll definitely find work!

Once you have a job, you want to keep the job, right? There are two things you need to do:

• Learn to do the job well. Your colleagues, your boss and your job coach will help you. Of course you have to do your best and you have to go to work on time.
• You have to get on with your colleagues. This is not so hard. At first you might have to get used to your colleagues. But when you are nice to them, they will be nice to you.

Thanks to the support of the CBO Maasland, Luk found a job. People make chairs at his work. His job is to saw tubes.

 

“The jobcoach of the training centre CBO Maasland and I thought about what I wanted to do. He helped me to find a job. The process leader of the CBO helped me with the money.”

  
Luk learned his job fast. And he has nice colleagues.

 

“The head of department taught me the job. The head of department and the responsible for production helped me to feel at ease with the other colleagues. When I have problems, I still can turn to the head of the department.”

    
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
If you are looking for more information, then check out the following websites (in Dutch):

• The work-store: http://www.werkwinkel.be
• The Flemish fund: http://www.vaph.be
   

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Are you looking for a job? It can be hard to find a job. But don’t worry, there are people out there to help you.

Do you know what kind of job you are looking for? It is important that you think about what kind of job you want.

• Are you still in school? Or do you attend a vocational training course? Ask your teachers for help! The job supervisor in the vocational centre (for example in the Christos Stelios Ioannou Foundation) will help you.
• Ask your family for advice. They know what you are good at.
• Think about it yourself. What would you like to do?

When you work, you will earn money. Do you get welfare benefits now? That might change. Your job supervisor can help you deal with the money.

So, who can help you find a job? Well, your job supervisor will be there for you!

When you found a job, you want to keep the job, right?

• You will have to learn how to do your job. Don’t worry, you will get help from your boss or your job supervisor. They will show you what to do. The training you had before will be helpful too.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. That’s ok, because most people are nice. And if you have any problem, you can tell your boss or your job supervisor. They are there for you.

 
We asked Melina how she got a job. Who helped her?

 
Melina’s job is to separate different kinds of paper for recycling. She got a lot of help from the Christos Stelios Ioannou Foundation.

 

“I found out what kind of job I wanted. My job supervisor in the Foundation helped me, and I compared with other workers. My job supervisor also helped me with the money. We had discussions at the Foundation about being employed on the free market and about making money. To find a job, my job supervisor and I visited different workplaces.”

  
Melina got a lot of support to learn the job well. She still gets help if she needs it.

 

“I was given guidance in the Foundation and support at the workplace. I had training in many fields in the Foundation, dealing with consistency, punctuality, job quality, personal care etc. At the work place my job supervisor and my colleagues showed me the right way to handle simple tools.”

 
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without help they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
Back

Are you looking for a job? It can be hard to find a job. But don’t worry, there are people out there to help you.

Do you know what kind of job you are looking for? It is important that you think about what kind of job you want.

• Are you in school? Or do you attend a vocational training course? Ask your teachers for help! They also know what kind of job is available.
• Are you in a workshop or daycentre? Maybe one of the staff there can help you.
• Ask your job coach or support person in town.
• Ask your family for advice. They know what you are good at.
• Think about it yourself. What would you like to do?

When you work, you will earn money. Do you get welfare benefits now? Have you thought about the possible changes to your income? Your support person and family can help you deal with the money.

So, who can help you find a job? Well, a lot of people can help you: the job coach or support person from the supported employment agency, the teacher in the vocational school, the staff from the workshop.

When you found a job, you want to keep the job, right?

• You will have to learn how to do your job. Don’t worry, you will get help from your colleagues or your job coach. They will show you what to do. The training you had before will be helpful too.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. That’s ok, because most people are nice. And if you have any problem, you can tell your boss or your job coach. They are there for you.

 
We asked Kaisa about her job. Who helped her to find something? Who helped her to learn the job? How did she get to know her colleagues?

 
Kaisa works as a cleaner in a home for the elderly. She was in a workshop before. The staff of the workshop helped her a lot, and also her parents helped her.

 

“Someone from the staff of the workshop helped me think about what job I wanted. We thought about it together. She also helped me to find this job. My father and mother helped me with the money. They pay the invoices in my group home where I live.”

   
Kaisa learned the job. She also got to know and like her colleagues. And if she has problems, she can always ask for help.

 

“I learned the job. I looked how others did it. In the beginning it was a strange place, but there is a support person now. I got to know my colleagues. We said the names fast. Then we did things together, like the dishes. And then we talked a lot together. It is so nice. If I have problems now, I ask the support person or someone at the workplace for help.”

    
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

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Are you looking for a job? Or are you looking for experience outside a sheltered workshop? There are plenty of people who can help you!

In France, there are plenty of organisations to help you. They help you think about the kind of jobs you could do. They help you with the money and the welfare benefits. And they help you looking for a job.

• They help you with the money and the welfare benefits. And they help you looking for a job.
• Many people work for a CAT (Centres d’Aides par le Travail – Centre for support for work) or for an AP (Ateliers Protégés – Sheltered workshops). The supervisors there help people to find a workplace in the open labour market. They help people to learn their job.
• People also ask help from their local UDAF (Union Départementale des Associations Familiales). The UDAF helps people who have questions for the government. They can help you if you have questions about welfare benefits.
  Some people go to a service provider in their neighbourhood. They have coaches who can help you find a job, think about welfare benefits and learn the job.
• Many people also had help from their family. Or they took care of things themselves.

 

When you found a job, you want to keep the job, right?

• You will have to learn how to do your job. Don’t worry, you will get help from your colleagues or your supervisor. They will show you what to do. The training you had before will be helpful too.

• You will have to get along with your colleagues. That’s ok, because most people are nice. And if you have any problem, you can tell your boss or your supervisor. They are there for you.

 

We asked François about his job. Who helped him to find something? Who helped him to learn the job? How did he get to know his colleagues?

François is a shop assistant. He works for Décathlon, a big sports store. The people from the CAT helped him a lot.

 

“Someone from CAT helped me think about what kind of job I could do. He also helped me to find this job. A person of the UDAF helped me with money and welfare benefits.”

  
Once he found the job, François learned how to do the work fast.

 

“I learned the job by watching how the others do it. My boss helped me to fit in with the other workers. I am very satisfied with the help that I got. If I have a problem now, the people from CAT still help me.”

 
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

Back

Are you thinking about going to work?

Then first you should think about what job you want to do.

• Some people know what they want.
• Your family (especially your parents) and your friends can help you.
• Sometimes the workshop leaders help you think about a job that fits you.
• If you are in school, your teachers can help you looking for a job.
• You can always check information at the Arbeitsamt (Employment office)

It is also important to have a look at your money. When you work, you earn money. Maybe you will lose your welfare benefits. You have to look for more information about this. Ask the workshop leaders or the people at the Arbeitsamt: they’ll know.

 

Now you are ready to look for a job. Ask anybody you know for help. Maybe you have a friend who works somewhere where you could work too. Don’t forget to check the Arbeitsamt and the social services.

 
Then finally, when you have a job… You want to keep it, right?

• You must learn how to do your job well. Your boss or your workshop leader will show you and your colleagues will help you. After a while, you will be as good as anyone else at the job. Or even better?
• You also have to get along with your colleagues. That’s really important. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you and they will help you.

Let’s ask Peter and Anita if anybody helped them finding and keeping a job.

 
Peter is a production worker in a big factory. He got help from different people.

 

“To help me choose what kind of job I wanted to do I got a lot of help from the Arbeitsamt. I also got a lot of support from my parents, especially for the financial aspect. The social services were a great help too. The only thing I had to do myself was making good contact with my colleagues. When I have problems now, I’m advised by the social services, by my parents and by my boss!”

Anita is a domestic help in St. Joseph: a home for children. She didn’t need a lot of help to decide what kind of job she wanted. Afterwards she got a lot of help from her employer.

 

“I knew from the beginning what kind of job I wanted to do: working with children. St. Joseph gave me a lot of financial advice and they also gave me the chance to learn how to do the job under guidance of an experienced lady. I constantly receive a lot of help from my colleagues, my co-workers, and last but not least from my boss.”

 
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
Back

Are you looking for a job? It can be hard to find a job. But don’t worry, there are people out there to help you.

Do you know what kind of job you are looking for? It is important that you think about what kind of job you want.

• Are you in school? Or do you attend a vocational training course? Ask your teachers for help!
• Are you in a workshop or daycentre? Maybe one of the staff there can help you.
• Ask your job coach.
• Some people also get help from the Professional Integration Service.
• Ask your family for advice. They know what you are good at.
• Think about it yourself. What would you like to do?

 
When you work, you will earn money. Do you get welfare benefits now? Have you thought about the possible changes to your income? Your job coach and family can help you deal with the money.

 
So, who can help you find a job? Well, a lot of people can help you:

• A job coach or a trainer from a vocational training centre. For example someone from the Theotokos Foundation or ESEEPA or the Margarita Centre.
• Some people find a job through their family. Maybe your uncle knows a place where you could work!

 
When you found a job, you want to keep the job, right?

• You will have to learn how to do your job. Don’t worry, you will get help from your colleagues, your boss and your job coach. They will show you what to do. The training you had before will be helpful too.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. That’s ok, because most people are nice. And if you have any problem, you can tell your boss or your job coach. They are there for you.

We asked Eleni about her job. Who helped her to find something? Who helped her to learn the job? How did she get to know her colleagues?

 
Eleni works as an office clerk at the tourist information. She informs tourists about hotels. She had a lot of help from her job coach at the Margarita Centre.

 

“I got help from many ladies at the Margarita Centre. They helped me think about what kind of job would be good for me. My job coach also talked to me about the benefit system. I found this job thanks to the help of my job coach, the mayor of Arachova and the president of this business.”

  
Eleni learned the job. She also built up good relations with her colleagues. And if she has problems, she can always ask for help.

 

“I learned how to work at Margarita and I had 6 years work experience as an office clerk at the municipality of Agia Paraskevi. My polite manners helped me to get good relations with my work mates. When I have problems now, my parents or one of my work mates help me. In the beginning I felt I would not be able to manage, but with the support from the others I made it.”

   
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.
 

Back

Are you thinking about going to work?

Then first you should think about what job you want to do.

• Some people know what they want.
• Your family and your friends can help you.
• Sometimes the workshop leaders help you think about a job that fits you.

It is also important to have a look at your money. When you work, you earn money. Maybe you will lose your welfare benefits. You have to find out about this. Ask the workshop leaders, they know.

Now you are ready to look for a job. Ask anybody you know for help. Maybe you have a friend who works somewhere where you could work too. Or maybe someone from a disability organisation could help you.

Then you have a job. You want to keep it, right?

• You should learn how to do your job well. Your workshop leader will show you and your colleagues will help you. After a while, you will be good at the job.
• You have to get along with your colleagues. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you.

Áron found a job. He’s packing up things like CD’s. He got a lot of help from his family.

 

“My parents helped me decide what I could do. They also handle my money and my welfare benefits. They discussed this with me during the interview at the workplace. My parents found this workplace because one of their acquaintances told them about this place which could be adequate for me.”

At the workplace, Áron started on probation. His father and the leader of the workshop helped him at first.

 

“I was in probation for three months. When I started to work, my father came with me and stayed at the workshop for a short time to help me. Then the leader of the workshop helped me and told me and showed me what to do. I introduced myself to my colleagues and now I can turn to my colleagues and the leaders for help if I need it.”

 

Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without help they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
Back

It can be difficult to find a job. But you don’t have to worry about that. There are people out there who can help you.

First, you should think about what kind of job you would like to do.

• You can ask your family or friends for help. They know you; they know what you are good at.
• Did you go to a training centre? There you can learn and try different jobs. You will find out what job you like and you are good at.
• In the centre, you will meet job coaches who can help you.

 
When you work, you will earn money. Do you get a disability allowance now? Maybe that will change when you start working. Again, ask your job coach for information.

 
You know who can help you to find a job, don’t you? Indeed, your job coach!
 

When you find a job, you want to keep the job, right?

• You will have to learn how to do your job well. Don’t worry, if you need help, your boss or your job coach will help you. They will teach you and they will show you what you have to do.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. Don’t worry about this either. When you are nice to people, people will be nice to you. And if you have any problem, tell your boss or job coach. They are there to help you.

We asked Caroline what she did to find a job. Let’s check that out.

 
Caroline found a job as a domestic worker. She got a lot of help from her job coach.

 

“My job coach helped me think about the kind of job I could do. He also spoke to me and my key worker about money and welfare benefits. My job coach and the staff of the Orchard Centre helped me to find a job.”

 
Caroline learned her job well and fits in well with the other workers.

 

“I learned the job from on site training. The supervisor also taught me. My supervisor, my jobcoach and the 2 chefs at work helped me fit in with the other workers. I feel good about the help I got. I had a great experience. If I have problems, I still can go to my supervisor or job coach.”

   
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

Back

It can be hard to find a job so first you should think about who can help you find a job. With some support, you’ll definitely find work!
When you are looking for a job, you will have to go through different steps.

1. Which kind of job do you want?
There are many people who could help you thinking about the right job.

• Think about it yourself. What would you like to do?
• Your family (especially your parents) can help you. They know what you like.
• If you are in school, ask your teachers or workshop leaders for help. They know what you are good at.
• You can always check information at the Employment office. Those people can guide you and help you think about what kind of job suits you.
• Your job coach and/or social assistant are experts who can advise you when you are looking for a job.
• Some people get help from their local service provider.

2. Who can help you to collect information about money and welfare benefits? 

• Maybe you are entitled to some special benefits.
• Or maybe you will loose benefits when you start working.

Again, the employment office can help you. Remember to ask family or friends for support in dealing with money. It is a good idea to ask also your job coach or your local service provider for more information.

3. Now you can start looking for a job.

Ask anyone you know. Your family, your friends, your teachers and coaches.

Then you find a job. Well, you want to keep the job, right?

• You must learn to do your work well. Don’t worry too much about this. Of course you have to do your best but after a while, you will be as good as anyone else at the job. Or even better? Your colleagues, your boss and your job coach will help you when needed.
• You must get along with your colleagues. Don’t worry about this either, it is not so hard. At first you might have to get used to your colleagues. But when you are nice to them, they will be nice to you.

Let’s ask Chiara and Luciana who helped them find a job:

 
Chiara helps in a kitchen. She likes her job

 

"The cook at school helped me to discover what kind of job I wanted to do. It was also the school which helped me to find this job. For my questions about money I received help from the employment office. "

 
Luciana works in an embroidery shop.

 

"My sister supported me a lot in finding a job. She helped me to find out which kind of job I like. She also helped me to find a job. She advised me concerning money."

   
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
Back

Most people with a job had training first. They learned to do a job well at a vocational centre. Then they did a work placement to get some experience.

So, looking for a job are you?
Then you should think about what kind of job you want.

• Some people know what they want.
• Some people decide during taking courses. They try different things and they find out what they like.
• People ask their job coaches and family. Your family and your job coaches know what you are good at.

 
Some people get welfare benefits. When you work, you earn money. Maybe you will lose your welfare benefits. You have to find out about this. Ask the job coaches in the vocational centre, they know.

 
Let’s see who can help you find a job.

• The job coaches
• If you do a work placement, then sometimes you will get a contract afterwards.

Now you have a job. You want to keep it, right?

• You must learn how to do your job well. Your boss will show you and your colleagues will help you. After a while, you will be good at the job.
• You have to get along with your colleagues. If you are nice to them, they will be nice to you.

 
Jorge knew what kind of job he wanted and so he took a course.

 

“When I stopped studying, one of my teachers talked to me about the courses of Cercidiana. I went there and I chose the course on agricultural work because it was a thing I always liked. I knew it would be what I wanted.”

 

Then Jorge did a work placement in a gardening company. The boss was happy with his work, so Jorge could stay and got a contract.

 

“During the courses on agricultural work of Cercidiana, the coaches sent me to Fitojardim for a work placement. After I stopped it, as they liked my work, I became a worker of the company. The other workers received me very well and I think they like me very much.”

    
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the Arbeitsassistent, they wouldn’t have found a job. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

 
Back

Are you looking for a job?

Do you know what kind of job you want? If not, you can ask some people to think along.

• Your coaches can help you: the home councillor, the jobcoach, the tutor at school.
• Often the employment consultant of MEE (former SPD: social pedagogical service) helps. He or she sets up the reintegration plan.
• Many people count on their family.
• Some people don’t need any help. They themselves know what kind of job they want.

Before looking for a job, it would be good to figure out money issues and allowances. Maybe you are entitled to an allowance. Or maybe you will lose an allowance if you start to work. The jobcoach and the employment consultant know all about this.

And then you look for a job. Don’t worry, again the jobcoach, the employment consultant or the school will help you. Sometimes it is hard to find a job. In the end, something is bound to come up!

 
When you find a job, you would want to keep the job, wouldn’t you? It is important that you do your best.

• You will have to learn new things. No worries, your boss and your jobcoach will help you.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. That won’t be a problem either, because most people are nice. And in case of a problem, you can always talk to your boss.

We asked Jan how he found a job. Who helped him?

 
Jan found a job in a factory. He is working in the production department. The jobcoach of Jobstap helped him with everything.

 

“The jobcoach of Jobstap helped me to find out what kind of job I could do. She also helped me with money and allowances. And she helped me to find this job.”

 
Jan works with machines. He had to learn how to do the job. His colleagues helped him well.

 

“The colleagues taught me how to do this job. And the boss helped me to feel at ease with the colleagues. When I have problems now, then I go to my new jobcoach, to the department manager or to the boss. I think the help I get is good.”

Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

Back

It can be hard to find a job. But there are people to help you. Let’s have a look at what you could do to find a job.

First you should think about what kind of job you want.

• What are you good at?
• Ask your family and friends to think along.
• Ask your job coach for ideas.

You will earn money if you find a job. Do you receive welfare benefits now? Maybe you will lose these. It is a good idea to ask your local service provider for more information.

You know who can help you to find a job, don’t you? Indeed, your job coach!

 
Together you might find a job that suits you. You would like to keep that job, wouldn’t you?

• You will have to learn how to do your job well. Don’t worry, if you need help, your boss or your job coach will help you. They will teach you and they will show you what you have to do.
• You will have to get along with your colleagues. Don’t worry about this either. When you are nice to people, people will be nice to you. And if you have any problem, tell your boss or job coach. They are there to help you.

We asked Adam how he found a job.

 
Adam works as a car park attendant in a supermarket. Who helped him to think about the job he wanted?

 

“I thought about the kind of jobs I would like. Then Sarah, my job coach from Connect, gave me ideas of the type of work I could apply for. She and my parents helped me to deal with money and welfare benefits. She also helped me to find a job.”

 
Adam learned his job well. He likes his colleagues. His job coach helped him at first.

 

“Sarah stayed with me all of the time when I first started. She showed me the job until I felt confident I could do it on my own. Sarah first introduced me to people at work. Then over the time I’ve been working there, I met a lot of other people. Sarah’s help was very helpful. I don’t know if I could have got the job or proved that I could do the work without her.”

 
Do you want to know how people with a job feel about the help they got to find a job? They are very happy. Without the help of the job coaches, they wouldn’t have found a job. And they still receive help if they need it. Check out the section on what workers advise you to do.

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