VAR centre: motivation programme for employment of people with disabilities

Latvia

Association of people with disabilities and their friends “Apeirons”

Valdemara street 38 k.1 RIGA, LV - 1010, LATVIJA Phone / Fax: (371) 67299277 E-pasts: info@apeirons.lv www.apeirons.lv www.varcentrs.lv

NGO

VAR centre (translation of VAR from Latvian is CAN) or Association of people with disabilities and their friends Apeirons offers a training 1program that motivates people to enter and / or return to the labor market. During the training program people are motivated and encouraged to dare start looking for the job. A very important skill to start labor relations is to present selves to the employer properly, i.e. write correct CV, to understand what are the things that need to be emphasized. Also, personal self-presentation for a job interview is very important for the employer's decision-making. It is helpful to know what and how to respond, where to look, how to behave, or ask questions. These all and many other useful things a person can acquire during the training program.
Those who wish can use the opportunity to create their own video presentation that includes main facts about their skills and knowledge. These video presentations are later placed in a publicly accessible data base on the web site www.varcentrs.lv. This data base consists of job seekers as well as with employers who look for employees. The following video presentation is an opportunity for the employer to see a person and learn about his/her abilities or skills that are important for future cooperation.

Unlike many other motivational programs for people seeking job, Apeirons offers the unique opportunity to put his CV in a video format on internet. In Latvia this kind of facility is available for the first time. Of the first 50 participants of the motivation program 90% found a job in six months after the publishing their video CV on the internet. Participants' experience in overcoming the fear of a video camera led them to greater self-confidence and encouraged to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills.

Even if there are no major statistically studies conducted about all participants of the motivation program, we should admit that of the first 50 participants 90% found a job in six months. It should be added that the website operates independently thus and any individual can post their own CVs on the website.
Those who want can also with the help of Apeirons create their own video CVs and place it on the website.
This principle ensures the sustainability of the project. Of course at the end it also depends on each person individually as with finding jobs it just starts and in each own hands is the future cooperation between employee and employer.

Information about the website is distributed in various ways: by placing banners in popular internet news sites, home pages of other kindred organisations, by sending information to mass media, producing promotion materials. A considerable part in disseminating information has been played by verbal communication "from person to person".

It is not enough only with motivated job searcher to find a job for a person with disability, informative and educational work with employers there is also required. Seminars, conferences and private meetings are organised with employers.

Training is conducted via non-formal methods, taking into account the definition of an non-formal education thus – learn by doing. Formal education provides training with testing and evaluation, during these trainings people test and evaluate themselves.

employment, motivation programme for job seekers, VAR centre, Apeirons