Professioneel handelen als puzzelen in de uitvoering van arbeidsactivering

Abstract

A B S T R A C T Professional agency as "puzzling over" the delivery of activation servicesThe rise of active social policies has strengthened the call for a new type of social professional in the Netherlands. Professionals are expected to focus more on stimulating the labour market participation of vulnerable groups. Improving the quality and effectiveness of their professional services is high on the agenda, partially as a result of the disappointing results of activation policies, which aim to promote the labour market inclusion of vulnerable unemployed groups receiving social benefits. In this professional field, various initiatives have been launched in recent years to promote the "professionalization" of the street-level workers who deliver activation services. This paper questions the dominant underlying conceptualization of effective professional agency that underlies many of these initiatives and proposes an alternative conceptualization which can be used in research in relation to professional agency as well as to improve activation practice.The quintessence of the dominant conceptualization of successful professional agency lies in the thoughtful use of evidence-based methods. According to this perspective, evidence is derived from In this paper, however, it is argued that this conceptualization does not do justice to the fact that in real day-to-day practice, street-level workers are confronted with complex issues and dilemmas which cannot be solved by applying evidence-based methods alone. Based on existing research into these practices, it is argued that professionals face at least five types of issues which complicate their work:1. The Dutch labour market is developing in a way which makes access to work increasingly difficult for vulnerable groups. Moreover, at the lower end of the labour market on which these groups mostly depend, the quality of available employment is deteriorating in terms of both remuneration and job security. In this context, finding viable routes into inclusive employment is far from easy, both for unemployed persons as well as for professionals; 2. The most vulnerable groups often face other problems besides unemployment. How to deliver effective, integrated professional services that address all these problems is still unclear.However, it is very likely that focusing on unemployment alone is not sufficient to achieve lasting outcomes; 3. Social inclusion through employment is not only about servicing the unemployed, but also about creating opportunities for employers and their companies. Achieving reciprocity between employer and unemployed is complicated but a necessary condition in order for professionals to succeed; 4. Professionals work within a broader organizational context, structured by policies and managerial choices. This context influences what they can and will do, regardless of their mastery of effective methods; 5. Even if evidence-based working is considered the best professional standard, workers in the field of activation have to deal with a far from compr...

Hoe past het? Een kwalitatieve analyse van narratieven van jongeren met een ondersteuningsbehoefte op het gebied van passend onderwijs en passende arbeid

“…Mogelijkheden worden vaak cognitief benaderd: de verwachting is dat iemands mogelijkheden op de arbeidsmarkt toenemen door te verkennen hoe deze persoon denkt over arbeidsparticipatie. Ondanks dat zowel leerkrachten als arbeidsre-integratieprofessionals aangeven dat ze extra competenties nodig hebben nu er een complexere doelgroep het onderwijs en de arbeidsmarkt betreedt (Delfgou, 2016;Van der Aa, 2017), wordt met name de gegeven praktische begeleiding door veel jongeren positief gewaardeerd. Moeilijkheden in het vinden van de juiste ondersteuning en aansluiting bij het denkniveau en de leefwereld van de jongere komen met name bij hoger opgeleide jongeren naar voren.…”