Outplacement:ABridgetoNewEmployment

1. OutplacementasaNewWaytoEntertheJobMarket A. Introduction In the work and achievementoriented society of the 21st century unemployment does not only affectpeoplescareerprospectsbuttheirpotentialforsocialandpersonaldevelopmentaswell.Inits Lifelong Learning Programmes the European Commission has set out to counteract such tendencies by focusing on initiatives that encourage participants to enhance their personal development, their employability and their participation in the European labour market1. These programmesarebasedontheassumptionthatqualificationand,inawidersense,educationprovide opportunitiestopreventoratleastdiminishsocialexclusion.Thehighersomebodysleveloftraining and education is, the lower is his/her risk of losing his/her job, and, in the worst case, the phases of unemployment are at least shorter. It must be the aim of adult education organisations which providevocationaltrainingandeducationonbehalfofthestaterunemploymentagenciestoprovide theirstudentswithsuchalevelofqualificationthattheycanconfidentlyenterthelabourmarketand remain in employment for a long period of time. In recent years training institutions have integrated new forms of mentoring into their range of services to help their students find employment. During their period of training people who are out of work are assisted in such a way that they can in the best of cases (re)enter the labour market on the first day after their training course has finished. Apart from imparting knowledge and teaching their students the related capabilities and skills, vocationaltrainingcentersarethusassignedanewresponsibility:tosupportstudentsintheirsearch for employment by special mentoring and coaching measures. The present paper deals, at least in a rudimentaryway,withthequestionhowthesenewformsofmentoringhavechangedthetraditional imageandhowthishasledtonewstructuresintrainingandeducation. B.TheOutplacementModelFromItsBeginningstoaModernServiceNetwork Outplacement is regarded as an invention of the postmodern workoriented society, its first manifestation dating back to the mid20th century. There is no clear answer as to what the exact circumstances were under which it originated. However, the most commonly heard explanation for the introduction of outplacement is the fact that after the end of WWII the soldiers coming back from their war service had to be reintegrated into civilian life. To achieve this they needed wide rangingsupport.Anotherexplanation,whichislesswellknownbutequallyconcise,pointstothefact that after the Second Vatican Council2 a great number of monks could no longer be employed in the service of the Church. For these superfluous monks programmes were introduced which prepared them to return to secular life and acquire a livelihood3. Leaving aside the different theories about their origin, it can be stated as a fact that in the 1960s and 1970s the first outplacement services sharing a set of common features came into being, and they exist in that form to the present day. It took another decade for this concept to be perceived and introduced in the Germanspeaking countries. The English name was kept, when organisations and companies introduced outplacement as part of personnel development and redundancy management. At first being given this form of support was a privilege of the senior management, but when the market became increasingly crisis prone and unemployed numbers rose, assistance was extended to other groups. Today this service includesemployeesfromalllevelsofcorporatehierarchy.Althoughoutplacementembracesawhole
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TRANSLATEDFROM:PROGRAMMFRLEBENSLANGESLERNENALLGEMEINEAUFFORDERUNGZUREINREICHUNGVONVORSCHLGEN 20082010,S.20. 2 th th 11 October1962to8 December1965 3 In:CarolinFischerOutplacement:AbschiedundNeubeginn.EineUntersuchungzurQualittderOutplacementBeratung,9.2001.

range of origin, it can be stated as a fact that in the 1960s and 1970s the first outplacement services sharing a set of common features came into being, and they exist in that form to the present day. It took another decade for this concept to be perceived and introduced in the Germanspeaking countries. The English name was kept, when organisations and companies introduced outplacement as part of personnel development and redundancy management. At first being given this form of support was a privilege of the senior management, but when the market became increasingly crisis prone and unemployed numbers rose, assistance was extended to other groups. Today this service includesemployeesfromalllevelsofcorporatehierarchy.Althoughoutplacementembracesawhole rangeofdifferentservices,therestillexistsonlyasingletechnicalterm.Thisisallthemorestrikingas outhasanegativeconnotationandbringstomindantagonismssuchasinandout,whichinturn might be associated with established outsiders4. Nevertheless friendlier alternatives, i.e. terms with a positive connotation such as new placement, have not really taken hold. In Austrias vocational training sector, especially in the province of Styria, outplacement models have been developed by vocational training institutions with a labour market orientation. These activities could only be taken up after legal amendments in 2002 had weakened the placement monopoly of the staterun employment agencies (AMS). After 2002 the monopoly could be transferred to other institutions, e.g. nonprofit organisations5 such as Schulungszentrum Fohnsdorf. Certain assignments in order to achieve and maintain full employment and to keep the labour market fully functional .6 couldfromthenonbedelegated.Consequently,theeducationalinstitutionsoperatingonthelabour market defined outplacement as part of their services. The objective of this service is to help people who are out of work and attend a training course to find a new job as soon as possible. In 2006 SchulungszentrumFohnsdorf(SZF)wascommissionedbythestaterunpublic employment serviceto implement an outplacement model. The original idea was to start intensive outplacement support six weeks before the end of the training course, but this approach was abandoned because of the size and complexity of SZF. Instead of a sixweek period of intensive support, outplacement was advancedtoacrosscuttingthemeandintegratedintothewholeSZFtrainingcycle. C.OutplacementModelatSchulungszentrumFohnsdorf(SZF) Before explaining the SZF outplacement model in detail, I should like to provide some background information on SZF as training institution. SZF was founded in 1972 as a response to the decline of the mining industry, which had been among the main employers in the AichfeldMurboden region. Hundreds of employees lost their jobs at short notice, and their financial survival was threatened. In order to mitigate the dramatic situation the AMS predecessor organisation decided, together with other regional decisionmakers, to provide some social security for redundant miners by setting up an association for retraining. Nearly forty years after its foundation, which was meant to be a temporary institution, SZF counts among the largest and most significant institutions of vocational educationandtraininginAustria(anaverageof470traineespermonthplus200staff/experimental labour market policy projects). The training courses, the necessary infrastructure as well as the traineeslivingexpensesarefinancedexclusivelybythepublicemploymentserviceAMS. Thenatureofthetrainingcoursesaswellastheircontentsandtargetsaredecidedupononthebasis of the existing training regulations and the concepts drawn up in cooperation with SZF. The final decision lies in the hands of AMS as the contracting entity. Education and training is offered in a varietyoffields,rangingfromtechnicaltocommercialtraining,fromtrainingforthecateringindustry toforeignlanguagesandmodernITcommunication. ____________________________
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In1993NorbertElisasandJohnL.ScotsonpublishedanempiricalstudyofanEnglishsuburbancommunitybetween1958and1960.Itis anenquiryintotherelationshipbetweenlongtermresidentsandnewcomersaswellasintotheresultingsocialconstructionof outsiderness. 5 In:Arbeitsmarktfrderungsgesetz(AMFG)35/1Abschnitt14(1),828 6 In:Arbeitsmarktfrderungsgesetz(AMFG)35/1Abschnitt11,827.

Trainees can choose between finishing their training courses with a nationally recognised qualification (Lehrabschluss) and opting for training modules that help them build up competency in acertaintechnicalarea.Irrespectiveofthekindanddurationoftrainingthetraineeschoose,theyall receive careerrelated counseling, acquire social competencies and are assisted in their search for a suitable job. A closer look at the SZF outplacement model illustrates this point. The SZF model is based upon three pillars: the Outplacement Management (OPMa), die Technical Divisions7 (OPFB) andthePedagogic/psychologicalTeam(OPPPT). Theoutplacementmodelcanbeseeninthegraphicbelow While the outplacement management (OPMA) only cooperate directly with the trainees (ATN) if necessary, the technical division (OPFB) and the pedagogic/psychological Team (OPPPT) support the trainees throughout the training courses and the subsequent outplacement module with regard to outplacement (search for employment). Contact between the trainees (ATN) and OPMA only intensifies towards the end of the training course and during the outplacement module. The green areas in the diagram represent the outplacement process. It commences with the information days and the selection/clarification days, goes on during the introductory week and continues throughout thequalificationphase.Itmaybutdoesnotnecessarilyhavetoendwiththetwoweekoutplacement module. This module can be chosen by the trainee as an option, if all previous measures of the outplacementprocesshavenotshownanyresult(yet),oratleasednotthedesiredresult. The outplacement management sees itself as a center of both internal and external communication between the trainees, industry, the public employment service and the technical divisions. These contacts are intended to bring together jobseekers and companies willing to recruit. Apart from its role in company acquisition, the outplacement management plays an important part in evaluating the qualification offered by SZF. In order to get a concrete and realistic picture of the economic requirements and competency profiles, moderated technical discussion sessions are organised with
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Thefocalpointsoftrainingandeducationare:automationtechnology,CAD,office/sales/logistics,IT,electricalengineering,foreign languages,woodengineering,catering,metalengineering,welding.

industrialpartners.Suchdiscussionsgenerateinformationabouteconomictendencies,requirements and competencies on the future job market as well as trends with regard to qualifications. The so called placement quotas reveal how successful the outplacement endeavours have been. In addition to the annual assessment of the placement quota by the public employment service, the outplacement management determines the placement quotas, the status quo and the reasons why trainees entered (or did not enter) employment at regular intervals. After being analysed and evaluated, these data are used by SZF to control and optimize the outplacement process. While the outplacement management deals primarily with companies as target group, the technical division has a central role in outplacement mentoring of the trainees. Within the technical divisions the trainees are taught all relevant knowhow, which implies that the technical competence of the traineescanbeassessedrealistically.Moreover,thequalificationrequirementsofthecompaniescan be communicated to the trainees in a way they understand. Companies in particular appreciate this approach, as it provides an opportunity to enter into a technical dialogue with the training institution. Moreover, specific requirement profiles can be developed together with the companies, which happens frequently. The technical division thus forms an essential interface between trainees and industry. The technical division is the place where all information regarding placement, i.e. information about the trainee, about his/her contacts with companies and about their outcome is collected.Forthestaffofthetechnicaldivisionstheindividualsupportgiventothetraineesresultsin valuableindustrialcontacts,whichprovideimportantfeedbackregardingtheapplicabilityandquality oftheknowledgeandskillstaughtatSZF. The professional pedagogues and trainers of the pedagogic/psychological team counsel and coach the trainees in all aspects related to their personal and careeroriented life plans, so that they can make well thoughtout, informed decisions for their future careers. In their training sessions, special attention is given to the formation and finetuning of socalled key competencies or social skills. These competencies, which complete the trainees qualification, include communication skills, work organisation and creative skills that are on demand in the world of work. The common target of the training,coachingandcounselingunitsisenhancementofthosecompetencieswhichhelptraineesto actprofessionally(empowerment).Theylearntodevelopsuitableapplicationstrategies,towriteand compile personal application documents, to prepare themselves for application and to train and reflect upon these situations. This pedagogic and psychological mentoring is an integral part of the training course and, up to a certain point, obligatory. In more acute cases, trainees are additionally given the opportunity to have onetoone conversations and individual coaching units. Pedagogic careisahighlysensitivearea,ascareerguidancecanneverbeseenisolated.Itmustbecarriedoutin the context of the trainees individual circumstances, their (vocational) biographies as well as their social environment and economic situation. Therefore, these factors are not disregarded during career guidance but taken into consideration with empathy, sensitivity and, of course, the necessary professionalism. Normally, mentoring ends right after the training course has been completed. If required, it can be prolonged by another two weeks. This means that the trainees can opt for an outplacement module at SZF, which is also under the care of vocational pedagogues and supported by outplacement managers. In this module the trainees can continue the intensive jobseeking phase. This form of mentoring is finally terminated after two weeks. Depending on the individual case, contactwiththetraineemaybekeptupandSZFstaffmightpassoninformationregardingvacancies or employmentrelated events. At present, such contacts only occur sporadically and are not organised in any way, which has been identified as a potential area for further development of the SZF outplacement model. Certain aspects of such an approach have already been elaborated, i.e. installationofaneaccountmyszf,whichenablesallSZFtraineestoremainincontactwithtrainers, tutorsandoutplacementmanagersforatleastsixmonthsaftercompletionoftheirtrainingcourse. 4

 D.SummaryoftheSZFOutplacementModel By way of conclusion it can be said that outplacement changes the work and selfimage of a traditional educational institution profoundly. Such a transition is by no means smooth, as the subject of outplacement constitutes an area of conflict between imparting education and achieving placement. In addition, the range of strategic planning assignments widens and both trainers and counselors have to play a new, more complex part, for which they must be properly preparedandqualified.Moreover,carehastobetakeninordertoavoidthatthenewassignmentof placement support leads to a conflict with the contracting entity, i.e. the public employment service, whose core competency is the placement of unemployed people. Although the outplacement model does not (yet) work without friction because of the abovementioned reasons, after the first three years of experience the conclusion can be drawn that all participants and all participating institutions benefit from this model. In a protected environment, trainees get the opportunity to build up competencies that will make it easier for them to go through the application process,andtheycanovercometheirinhibitionsregardingaspectsoftheapplication.Apartfromthe complex field of competence building, support is given to them by passing on information about companies and by regularly organising job fairs, business presentations and similar events such as excursions, where they can get contact addresses. Moreover, the trainees get prepared for competition8 on the labour market by learning how to act professionally during application procedures. The common target of all these activities is a swift entry to longlasting employment. As far as industry is concerned, companies get additional support with recruiting new employees. On the one hand, companies are provided with an easier and more economical way of finding staff, on the other hand they get an opportunity for inexpensive image campaigns and PR work. Apart from these main aspects, companies which make binding job offers are also given a say in training schemessothattheirfutureemployee(s)canbetrainedaccordingtotheirspecificrequirements.For the public employment service, which in this context provides assistance to both target groups (job seeking trainees and companies), the outplacement service widens the scope of its original range of assignments and services. This generates synergy and helps to save resources. For the training institution itself, the major benefits of outplacement lie in a better control over measures to reach the success indicator9 in vocational education and training and being less dependent on chance. Apart from this pragmatic advantage, there are a number of other benefits which have a direct or indirectimpactonthefactorofsuccess. These include knowledge about market characteristics, effects and trends as well as regular contacts with companies, which help to build up the essential dialogue between partners that may lead to various forms of cooperation between industry and training institution. Last but not least, outplacement helps to improve the range of support services given to the trainees. SZF is thus upgrading its employer branding by adding a special feature. In the future a decisive factor will be ifandinwhichwayinstitutionsofferjobsearchsupportandhowtheirnetworksaredesigned.10 ____________________________________ 8 Outplacement gives support to applicants but doesnot create additional jobs leavingaside consultancy. This is one of themain points
of criticism of the outplacement model. It has been said that, instead of introducing counteractive measures, it promotes a process of displacement competition on the labour market in the sense of surivival of the fittest. It must be pointed out, however, that no such promises were made when outplacement was introduced. Outplacement does not change the system; this would call for different mechanisms.Outplacementsupportsthosepeoplewhohavebeendiscardedbythissystem.Ithelpsthemtodealwiththesituationand returnintothesystemfasterinsomecasesevenunderimprovedcircumstances(position,wages). 9 At present the success factor is defined via a placement quota of 53,3 percent for men and 51,8 percent for women within 92 days after completionoftheirtraining.
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In:Standard,WartenaufundarbeitenfrdenbesserenJobvonHeidiAichinger,15./16.Mai2010,P1.

2. OutplacementintheContextoftheEUProjectEuropeanOutplacementFramework In 2009 SZF submitted a proposal for an EU project on outplacement within the Leonardo Transfer of Innovation programme under the title of EOF European Outplacement Framework. The project was selected for funding. It proceeds from the fact that several training institutions in EU countries are already testing models which, in accordance with the specific local requirements, give support to trainees under the title of outplacement or mentoring. This means that under the synonyms mentors, tutors, coaches or outplacers counselors help the job seekers to analyse their previous vocational biographies, to compile a competency profile and to develop an individual applicationstrategy.Atthesametimethereisaconstantdialoguewithcompanieswhichdefinetheir future demand for labour together with the counselors. Consequently, the bestsuited applicants/traineescanbeprovidedwithadequatejoboffers. Together with the partner organisations Instytut Technologii EksploatacjiPIB ITeE from Poland, Dimitra Institute from Greece, Randers BoOg Erhvervstraening from Denmark, Schulungszentrum PtujandUniverzitetnirehabilitacijskiinstitutRepublikeSlovenijeSocafromSlovenia,CoopInstitute of Education from Slovakia and CESIS from Portugal the models that have been introduced are being discussed and further developed. Tools and methods are being developed and subsequently compiled in a catalogue of good practice. The project objective is to standardize outplacement models to such an extent that a framework concept can be deducted which takes the individual needs and circumstances of organisations into consideration and adds new aspects to the existing models. Moreover, the project aims at training coaches in adult education as well as human resources managers as outplacement tutors and mentors, so that their activities can be put on a more professional basis by building up competency. Moreover, their professional competencies are to be enhanced by special knowledge in pedagogy as well as personnel and organisation development so that they can give structured and efficient guidance to job seekers in training programmes to (re)enter employment. This competency enhancement will be achieved through a seriesofseminarslastingseveraldays,whichwillbeimplementedonapilotbasisinthecomingyear. Trainers and human resources managers who want to dedicate themselves to this new assignment will be offered free participation in this pilot phase. So far, the project partners have agreed on a common definition of outplacement, which takes all the characteristic features of the participating institutionsaswellastheirpoliticalandstructuralbackgroundsintoconsideration.Thisdefinition readsasfollows:
Outplacement is the process of supporting persons to achieve permanent connection to the labour market. This process connects trainees, training organisations and the labour market (companies/organisations) in order to create new employment environment this also means to locate new jobs and jobs accesses as well as possibilities for working. Therefore outplacement is composed of 2 pillars. The first pillar consists of a group of services, which is given to trainees in the field of career transition as well as guidance and focuses on (re)orientation training counselling in ordertoget(re)integratedintothelabourmarket.Theseservicesincludeguidancecareerguidance career evaluation the foundation of work experience education/training developing communications & self presentation skills, networks targeting the job market. The philosophy of outplacement is the support for trainees in their future career options and should be regarded as a complete process, which is intended to relate holistically to the individual person. The second pillar is the set of various tools for contacting enterprises in order to assist the trainees not only in work related circumstances but also in other circumstances that may exclude this person from the labour market. The aim of

outplacement: The outplacement will be ended when the person achieves employment on regular or special terms in the labour market or when a plan can be drawn up, which is realistically aimed towardsthis.11

On the basis of this definition, criteria for outplacement tools have been elaborated and a first selectionand/ordescriptionoftoolshasbeenmade.Inthenextsteponeofthesetoolswillbetested and compared in all partner countries. At the same time each partner organisation chooses another tool which they have not applied before. They will implement this tool in their organisation and evaluatetheirexperiences.Forexample,SZFhaschosentotesttheCourseofInspirationappliedin Poland. The outcomes of this trial will become available in the coming six months and be published subsequentlyinacatalogueofgoodpracticeforoutplacementtools. WorkingontheEOFProjecttheteamhassucceededinmakingavarietyofapproachestothesubject of outplacement available, which will permit us to introduce a European model that considers different perspectives. The project team contributes a wealth of experience to this cooperation, makingaconsiderablecontributiontoitssuccess. Thisprovesonceagain that theEuropean ideacan be promoted by means of highquality joint development, a prolific exchange of concepts and the generationoffutureorientedideas.

TeamofEUProjectEOFduringthesecondtransnationalmeetingatLarissa,Greece

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Author: Sylvia Ippavitz, outplacement manager, primary teacher and historian has been working on thetopicoutplacementforthreeyears. s.ippavitz@szf.at Coauthor: Heide Steinwidder, teaching degree in andragogy, dissertation on Erwachsene lehren und lernen Die Didaktisierung von Schlsselqualifikationen im Spannungsverhltnis von Alltagsbewusstsein, heimlichem Lehrplan und der Erziehung zu Mndigkeit und Autonomie (Universitt Klagenfurt, 2005), has been entrusted with social care and guidance of trainees in all employmentrelatedaspects h.steinwidder@szf.at Coauthor: Dimitrios Doukas, business economist, has been in charge of acquisition and EU projects atSZFforsixyears. d.doukas@szf.at Outplacementexecutives: Contracting entity Branch Office Styria of Public Employment Service (AMS), represented by ManfredBuchberger,DepartmentforSubsidies manfred.buchberber@ams.at StrategicplanningatSZF Heimo Gladik, Technical Director, has been at SZF for 18 years, responsible for innovative projects connectedtolabourmarketpolicyandtrainingofapprentices h.gladik@szf.at Iris Ferjan, Pedagogical Director, has been at SZF for 7 years, responsible for the pedagogical and didactialconceptsinSZF i.ferjan@szf.at