The charges of OPS from Gogolin believed in themselves again

The charges of the Social Welfare Center take part in meetings with a psychologist, career counselor and in training. – Thanks to this, even the long-term unemployed find a job – says the head of OPS.

I am available, I am not afraid of work and I have experience, but unfortunately employers prefer younger employees – says 53-year-old Maria Dorda from Malnia.

See: Opole region. Help for the unemployed and at risk of poverty

I haven’t been working for three years. As she says, she simply stopped being effective for her former employer. Her contract was not renewed. She tried to find another job, but failed. Sometimes employers required documented entitlements from her that she did not have, sometimes they refused her application only because of her age. And they didn’t hide it at all.

– I was applying for a job as a cleaner. On a good day, the employer asked me how old I was – he says. – After a while, I found out that he chose the younger one. It is insulting for a woman to ask her about her age when interviewed for a job. Anyway, I’m not old after all.

Mrs. Maria is raising a disabled daughter. He admits to be alive day by day.

– Sometimes it is difficult, but there is nothing to complain about, there are people who are worse off – he comforts – But I want to work, and not just stay at home, although sometimes I stop believing that I will succeed.

However, he does not intend to succumb to adversity. She decided to participate in the “Drogowskaz” project, which is being organized by the Social Welfare Center in Gogolin for its pupils. As part of it, he attends a cash register operation course with computer skills.

– After such classes, a person has a better heart and a different approach to life – he says. – Because it is not only about a vocational course, although this “paper” and skills are also important. We also have meetings with a career counselor and a psychologist, and thanks to them you can really get out of the hole in life.

25-year-old Anna Żegocka also decided to participate in the project and the same professional course. A few years ago Gogolinianka finished a vocational school. She acquired the profession of a confectioner and worked for a year in the profession she had learned.

– Then something went wrong in my life, I lost my job – I don’t want to go into details. – Eventually I got pregnant and all my attention was consumed by caring for the baby.

The young mother has not worked for a total of four years. Now he wants to change it: – My Maja is three years old and she is at such an age that I can think about myself and about going back to work.

After completing the course, she would like to find a job in her area. Because although she intends to return to work, she also wants to have time for her daughter.

– I will not decide to travel, because I would be away from home any longer, and I cannot afford to hire a nanny – he admits. – I did some research and I would have to give the babysitter all the money earned, if not more.

The project “Drogowskaz” involves a total of twelve charges from the Social Welfare Center in Gogolin

For the implementation of the project, OPS received over 105 thousand. Polish zloty subsidy from the European Union.

So far, 42 people have benefited from the OPS’s help under the “Drogowskaz” project. And – as Izabela Olczyk argues, such help is very much needed, it brings positive results. – Although the training participants do not always get a job immediately, we notice positive changes – adds the manager.
According to social workers from Gogolin, after completing all the classes, their participants become bolder, start looking for a job themselves, and are not afraid of contact with future employers.

– Obviously, we do not only want to help in gaining new professional qualifications, although the training is important and we select it according to the needs of the participants. There are other aspects that count too. Our pupils improve their self-esteem and regain confidence in themselves – emphasizes Izabela Olczyk.

After completing the “Drogowskaz” project, some people managed to find a job right away, some of them still work. – It very often happened to the long-term unemployed, who are in a particularly difficult situation on the labor market – adds the head of the OPS.