Innovative Practice 2021 on Inclusive Employment and ICT
Employer-driven job creation for people with intellectual disabilities
Lev – Inclusion Denmark is a Danish advocacy organization working to improve the living conditions of people with intellectual disabilities. LEV’s KLAPjob project forms partnerships with a variety of companies to identify and advertise jobs on the open labour market. People with intellectual disabilities are then supported to apply for and undertake interviews with the aim of gaining meaningful employment. From 2014 to 2019, KLAPjob has successfully supported people into 3,684 jobs.
| Name of Innovative Practice: | KLAPjob |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Lev – Inclusion Denmark |
| Country of Implementation | Denmark |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Sub-Category | A project of Civil Society |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
Municipal job centres in Denmark do not have legal obligations towards people with intellectual disabilities, and many continue to work in sheltered workshops.
SOLUTION, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
KLAPjob works with employers to identify part-time unskilled service jobs meeting certain conditions, such as shorter working hours or a single supervisor. The jobs are advertised on public job websites. KLAPjob promotes the websites to persons with intellectual disabilities, and supports applicants and companies with the application process, interviews, and paperwork.
Persons with intellectual disabilities in Denmark receive disability benefits to cover their basic needs.
KLAPjob employees sign regular employment contracts and receive a salary that increases their disability benefits by up to 25 per cent, depending on their working hours. Employees can also join a labour union at a favourable rate.
The project emphasizes the importance of choice and supports applicants to find the job that best suits them, resulting in a retention rate of 65 per cent after two years. Further, 80 per cent of employees have expressed satisfaction with their work and many report an improvement in health and social abilities.
Asbjørn Jensen works at his KLAPjob in the supermarket Rema 1000, where he is responsible for stocking frozen goods.
FUNDING, OUTLOOK AND TRANSFERABILITY
KLAPjob is funded by grants from the Social Reserve Fund under the Ministry of Employment, with an annual budget of €1.5m. KLAPjob aims to continue increasing the number of people obtaining jobs in the open labour market, focusing on those aged 18 to 25.
Internationally, they hope to continue their co-operation with the Norwegian organization Arbeid og Inkludering (Work and Inclusion).
The organization is in talks with potential Hungarian partners regarding possible replication . In addition, it is in dialogue with Inclusion International and local partners on their employment programmes in Uganda and Myanmar.
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