How is employment maintained when jobs are lost in times of upheaval? The Chamber of Employees has an idea: a “transition society” should give employees new career perspectives, advise them and support them. For all employees who want to change because their qualifications are no longer needed due to changes in the world of work, this would create a contact point that would support them in the transition to a new professional field. We provide answers to the most important questions on the topic.
1. What is a “transition society”?
Active labor market policy is particularly important in times of crisis. It must organize for employees to switch to other professions or industries and enable advancement. In order for these transitions to be successful, people need support. The state of Bremen could start a pilot project with a transition company. This is intended to offer targeted advice and further training so that the change to a career with a future is successful. Employees could receive intensive advice from the transition company and, if they wish, can also be supported over the long term if they want to change their employer, profession or industry or plan to further their training.
2. Who should the offer be aimed at?
The transition society could initially be set up for all those employees who work in retail and are worried about their professional future. Other sectors could also be integrated into the offer later.
3. Why do retail employees in particular need this offer?
The intense competition from online retail is putting increasing pressure on stationary retail in particular. The industry is increasingly offering fewer full-time jobs with a living wage. Digitalization – for example in the form of self-scanner checkouts – also means that more and more activities are no longer necessary. Many retail workers – often women – are rightly unsettled. The transition society should develop individual future prospects together with the employees and break new ground. The spectrum ranges from further training in retail to changing industries to starting a new career.
4. What services should the transition company specifically offer?
Employees can seek advice about their career prospects from the employment agency at any time. However, there are situations in which employees need more intensive support. The transition society closes this gap.
The transition society works preventatively.
Retail workers can find out early about what changes are currently taking place in retail and how they affect employment in the industry. The focus is on the job and the professional field of those seeking advice: How do these upheavals affect their own job security and career prospects? With the support of consultants, employees can develop an individual perspective for the future.
The transition company steps in when the job loss becomes acute.
In this case, too, the consultants support the affected employees in developing a sustainable, individual future perspective against the background of the upheavals in retail.
In each case, the advisors present those seeking advice with various ways in which they can develop or improve their careers. To do this, all the advantages and disadvantages of possible development paths are weighed up. This ensures that those seeking advice choose a career path that fits their life situation well. The financial risks and funding opportunities of such a lane change are also discussed together. Once the employees have made a decision about their professional future, they can receive long-term support from the transition company’s advisors.
5. How are the employees supported by the transition company?
The transition company can support those seeking advice throughout the entire process – from the idea of a career reorientation to the end of the probationary period in the new job:
- during the phase of (acute) job insecurity with your previous employer,
- during advice from the employment agency and other advice centers,
- when applying for funding to finance further training,
- during further training,
- during the job search
- and while starting a new job to better gain a foothold in a different industry or profession.
6. The transition society should enable “collective transitions”. What does that mean specifically?
The (threatened) loss of a job is often experienced by employees as a high level of psychosocial stress. Group counseling and group coaching give employees the important opportunity to cope with job insecurity, job loss and a change of perspective as a shared experience. The transition company’s employees therefore go to the companies early on and motivate the employees to take part. At the same time, they provide information about the individualized advice and support offerings. The mix of group formats and individual support offers those seeking advice the support they need to optimally prepare for the new professional situation in the challenging situation of imminent job loss and to actively pursue new individual paths.
7. What consulting and coaching services should be offered?
The transition company provides information and advice:
- about the general changes and job prospects in retail.
- on the individual professional opportunities and risks of the employees seeking advice.
- about what the insolvency of a company usually means and what it can affect the employees themselves.
- about the procedures and offers of the employment agency.
- about improving individual labor market prospects through the different options for further training in the industry, a change in industry (possibly associated with advancement) or a change of career.
- about all funding opportunities including how to apply for them.
She coaches:
- when reflecting on your own wishes and strengths.
- when making decisions about your own professional future prospects.
- for contact with other advice centers and other institutions.
- for application procedures.
- for interviews.
8. How does the transition society work?
The transition company is a reliable, low-threshold contact point that retail employees can visit at short notice if they have questions about career reorientation. It is the interface between those seeking advice, the companies, the employment agency and the training providers.
9. What is the difference to a transfer company?
Not all retail employees have the opportunity to switch to a transfer company if their own employer goes bankrupt: overall, this offer is rarely used and is usually only offered by large, co-determined companies. In the retail sector in particular, there are a large number of smaller companies that are affected by the restructuring of the industry. In addition, the terms of transfer companies are generally not sufficient to support employees when switching to a new profession. If the vocational qualification is to be acquired in order to reduce the future risk of unemployment, this can take two years or longer. In addition, the transition company can also work preventatively – before the job is really acutely threatened.
10. How can the model project be financed?
The transition society can be financed through a funding mix of state funds, funds from the European Social Fund (ESF) and benefits from the Social Security Code (SGB) II and III.
State funds should be made available for orientation and goal-setting advice, the support of participants in workshops, training or individual coaching during further training or for support in finding a job and support after re-entry – if the offers cannot be financed by the employment agency. The administrative costs of the project should also be covered by state funds or ESF funding.
To cover the living expenses of the participants, wage replacement benefits according to SGB III can be used – if necessary, supplemented by basic security benefits according to SGB II. The further training measures and internships can be financed through funding benefits according to SGB III.
23 October 2024
Photo: iStock
