'Fit or unfit': theorie en praktijk van re-integratie

If the objective of creating a labour market with opportunity for unemployed is to be achieved through re-employment programmes, understanding the mechanisms and conditions at work is essential. Following ‘Realistic Evaluation’ the authors focus on theories in use behind re-employment programmes by different commercial companies. During two years re-employment services delivered to a thousand unemployed with a distance from the labour market were monitored by frontline workers on a weekly basis. Based on ample analyses the authors present an outline of a theory of re-employment programmes. Two dominant business strategies to help unemployed find a job emerge. One business strategy uses a broad range of instruments for a large group of clients with a job brokerage strategy which consists of internships, work experience and on trial placements. This strategy focuses on gaining trust from and on the provision of information about the unemployed person to potential employers in a face-to-face relationship. The other business strategy selects at the start of the program clients based on their job opportunities and offers the more easy-to-employ mainly classic employment services such as job application training and training in how to look for vacancies in order to prepare them a.s.a.p. for a match with an employer.