Universal training and job services for persons with psychosocial disabilities

Shekulo Tov provides job-seeking people with psychosocial disabilities with constant and flexible support. Job applicants are offered a number of options, including vocational rehabilitation, skills development, and training programmes. Participants also receive training to measure their professional progress.

Based in Lod, Israel, Shekulo Tov is a service provider that promotes the employment of people with psychosocial disabilities by providing them with skills development and training programmes. Moreover, they receive preparation and support for employment services in the free market, such as customer service, sales, education, manufacturing, and retailing. Since its start in 2005, Shekulo Tov has helped some 2,700 people with psychosocial disabilities to find employment.

Problems Targeted

In 2000, Israel passed the Mental Health Rehabilitation Law, enabling NGOs to participate in the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. In most cases, however, the rehabilitation and recovery processes of people with psychosocial disabilities remain inadequate, and they lack the necessary creativity to provide a feeling of self-worth and dignity.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

The main goal of Shekulo Tov is to promote the employment of people with psychosocial disabilities by providing constant and flexible support. Job applicants are offered a number of options, including vocational rehabilitation, skills development, and training programmes, and are provided with the necessary preparation and ongoing support to measure their vocational progress. The organization has dozens of community-based vocational initiatives throughout Israel, allowing participants to move from one position to another as necessary. This gives them a security net such that if for any reason they cannot hold their job in the free labour market, they can always return to vocational rehabilitation services.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

In 2015, Shekulo Tov had a turnover of US$50 million. The organization receives public funding from the Ministry of Health; and because it acts as a service provider for various ministries and generates income from its vocational projects, all its activities are self-sustaining.

Pictures

A vocational rehabilitation user that manages a stand of Erkuti in one of the largest malls in Israel and a rebook store in Haifa.

A vocational rehabilitation user that manages a stand of Erkuti in one of the largest malls in Israel and a rebook store in Haifa.

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