Participative refurbishing

"This project generally makes it easier to find a job, and this is an undeniable asset in a sector where recruitment is difficult. It's great to see the youngsters refurbishing the house with their own hands. It's an inspiring lesson!"

Susanne Schmaal

The nonprofit GüstrowerBildungshaue.V. (Güstrow Education Home) was created in 2007 and strives to build bridges between businesses and young people in difficulty, by education and training. At Güstrow (in the area of Rostock in northeast Germany), unemployment of the under-25 bracket reached 9% in 2013, 51% over the previous year. Very often, behavioral problems are to blame in this population: the lack of motivation, patience, capacity to resolve conflicts, dependability, punctuality, respect for rules, etc. The nonprofit offers them solid and lasting counseling, diversified and personalized, based on the discovery of their inner strengths.

Know thyself to develop your skills

The Güstrow Education Home has developed the Workshop of the Future project alongside the administrations of the towns of Bad Doberan, Güstrow and Rostock. Its aim is to keep track of youngsters who are liable to drift into crime, by relying on socialization and professionalization, with the idea that the development of professional expertise and personal skills will ease their integration in the job market. The Veolia Foundation has already supported GüstrowerBildungshaue.V. in 2013 for the construction of a drakkar, which was transferred to a partner nonprofit specialized in international youth exchanges. This was a genuine success in terms of integration and development of professional skills of the young people involved.

An itinerary tailored to the needs of each participant

The Workshop of the Future begins with an "open meeting" (first contact, establishment of personal relations), followed by group activities enabling the participant to manage his social relations (rituals, work on behavior, frustration control, conflict solving). The youngsters then work for several months in uniform groups to reinforce their strengths, identify their weaknesses, and offset them by appropriate skills. Every person sets a professional objective and an application plan for a training course in a business that will help him identify his professional shortcomings and target the skills to be acquired for precise professional objectives. The necessary training is then set up in cooperation with the employment agency.

Adjusting to respond ideally to needs

The Workshop of the Future is also starting to refurbish a house to accommodate the young people in new premises and, for some of them, as boarders. They will themselves refurbish the building, under the supervision of craftsmen: an opportunity to acquire professional skills while participating in a motivating project.

Refurbishing by and for the youngsters

The Workshop of the Future is also starting to refurbish a house to accommodate the young people in new premises and, for some of them, as boarders. They will themselves refurbish the building, under the supervision of craftsmen: an opportunity to acquire professional skills while participating in a motivating project.