Helping the unemployed from Eindhoven to secure employment. That is the purpose of the agreement signed between construction company Stam+De Koning and the municipality of Eindhoven.
Socially responsible construction with Stam+De Koning. Sven and Johan, amongst others are the direct outcome of the agreement. They both lost their job during the economic crisis. And because they are both in their end forties, it was very difficult to find another job. Sven: "I would be competing with boys in their twenties, so that is almost impossible."
But the two were able to start a new job. Every day they now work at the construction site of the former Philips Lighting building. Stam+De Koning does not consider this charity. Arno van Tilburg: "The current situation is no longer that you are old at 45 and can retire at 55. These men have another twenty years left in their career path. Furthermore, Van Tilburg thinks it is a good idea to have a mix of ages in their workforce. "The young ones will keep the older ones energetic and the older ones have more experience, an excellent exchange".
And for Sven and Johan it means fulltime employment. And that is very rewarding, says Johan, "you regain social contact, contact, a normal daily routine and the satisfaction at the end of the day of a hard day of work."
Source: Studio040
Translator: Jennifer den Dekker