Type of Project: Funded project Model project Transnational project
La-OlA - the wave that runs

The target group is adults with disabilities, in order to improve their chances on the labor market. La-OLA offers the possibility of integrating the participants into the labor market through practical vocational preparation, aptitude and competence assessment, intercultural training, language instruction, pedagogical support and the accompanying and supporting measures of the job center. In a first, shorter phase (three weeks), orientation takes place. In a second, longer phase (12 weeks), vocational qualification takes place in Latvia through internships in Latvian companies; job camps, qualification sequences and the like. The willingness and ability to change documented by participation in the selection process, preparation, completion of the qualification sequences as well as the internships and the stays abroad are used for labor market integration in the region. Building on and following La-OlA, there will be further integration activities and concepts. The La-OlA results are used as input for individual further development. In addition to the exchange of participants, there is also a continuous exchange of labor market experts during the project period. This exchange takes place twice a year. Locally, this takes place in Germany and Latvia. This project is based on a working concept, which has formulated the goal of analyzing inhibiting or promoting factors of the labor market integration of people with disabilities. Methodically, the integration concepts in the partner countries are considered and compared, and common and separating factors are described. Furthermore, proposals for action for the development of the promoting factors and the avoidance of the inhibiting factors are to be developed. Due to the project duration until 2014, experiences in the project and with the project in 2011, 2012 and 2013 can be drawn upon in this process. In this sense, La-OlA is also a learning project, which will incorporate change into its actions through interim results. Participating in the project on the part of the German partners are employees from the job center, trainers from companies, employees of qualification providers, the municipal disability representatives and self-help groups of citizens with disabilities. On the Latvian side, people from the same and similar institutions participate. The Riga Managers School coordinates the Latvian actors in our La-OlA project network. Source: Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Homepage IdA - Integration through Exchange, http://www.ida.de