One part of the project is neutralising and preventing the negative influence that comes from being unemployed or risking unemployment. By strengthening the participants physically and psycho-socially the number of coping-strategies at their disposal increases and they can benefit from the project, get a job or, if that’s impossible, find a way to cope with unemployment until they do so. This is urgent to individual quality of life and vitality as well as to society by decreasing illness and costs for medical care.

Method

We started with a theory, that to our knowledge hasn’t been tested before at least not in this structured way.

The first step

Together with Trygghetsrådet, Arbetsförmedlingen, Landstinget, Jönköpings kommun m.fl. we:

• out of the target group recruited 10 Co-ordinators and future group leaders in the Empowerment groups - K-groups
• a number of mentors male as well as female representing male dominated professions. These mentors are chosen in co-operation with the Swedish Employers Organisation (SAF), local employers and labour unions.

In recruiting the personal qualities are of great importance. We contracted each and everyone of them.

The Co-ordinators are educated during 4 weeks full time about:

• Group dynamics/ co-operation within groups/processes
• Communication
• Handling conflicts
• Women’s vital conditions and equality
• Management
• Project work
• Lateral thinking
• Circumstantial knowledge and analyse
• Future labour market
• Interview and conversation technique

The co-ordinators are guided all the way and this group is their K-group.

The co-ordinators work two and two as co-ordinator and assistant co-ordinator in the K-groups. Later on they are the spine of the project. The Co-ordinators are represented in the project board in order to influence the shaping of the ongoing project.