Co-creation is a useful operating model for supporting the employment of people with partial work ability
Many methods and operating models have been developed to support employment. The Centre of Expertise for Social Enterprises has assessed models that support the employment of people with partial work ability, and the most effective models seem to have one thing in common: they have been created through co-creation.
There is a large number of people in Finland who are excluded from the labour market due to reasons related to structures or attitudes. This group of people in need of support and with partial work ability plays an important role as we aim for an employment rate of 80% and look for solutions to unemployment and labour shortage.
In addition to new jobs and workers, support, guidance, training, continuous learning and adaptation of work tasks are needed to enable the development of more diverse and healthy work communities. In addition to this, we must change the structures and the perceptions of what work and work ability are. People’s ability to work often changes, and it is influenced by many external factors. A person with partial work ability may be fully able to work when their tasks and working conditions are adapted to suit their work ability.
Many methods have been developed to support employment, and we have achieved good results. Still, these results have not taken root very well or spread around Finland. An effective way of developing operating models and methods is through co-operation involving service providers, employers and people looking for employment.
Social enterprises contribute to solving the challenges of our society and are characterised by a strong orientation towards their values and missions. In addition to their employees, social enterprises focus on the users of the services they provide by involving them in the co-creation of services, which has proven to be a useful operating model. Social enterprises have the potential to strengthen the Finnish society so that all kinds of demographics and people are taken into consideration.
The Centre of Expertise for Social Enterprises has assessed 80 models that support the employment of people with partial work ability that have been tested in Finland. The one thing in common with all the most impactful models is co-creation.
More information
Yhteiskehittämällä luodaan kestäviä ratkaisuja työllisyyteen (yyo.fi, in Finnish)
You can read more about the employment of people with partial work ability and how to build a diverse and healthy work community on Job Market Finland.