Project coordination

The Josefsheim in Bigge is a centre of excellence for rehabilitation and offers the its services to people with physical, sensory, learning and complex disabilities. Currently about 800 people are using these services.

The range of services is directed at people of all age groups and covers the residential areas for children, teens and adults, a remedial kindergarten, the vocational training centre, the sheltered workshop and ambulant services. The Josefsheim has around 750 employees with different backgrounds at the locations in Bigge, Lipperode and Sundern.

The vocational training centre (Berufsbildungswerk (BBW)) offers rehabilitation aimed at helping young disabled people take part in employment and society who could only undertake vocational training with the intensive support services of a BBW. There are around 220 training places in 30 vocations. The goal is their integration into the employment market. The vocational training is orientated at the individual requirements of the young people and the requirements of the economy. Those being trained benefit from social-pedagogic and psychological supervision. The integration service supports them in making contact with employers or the public employment agency. The BBW is home to a vocational school and associated specialist services. The measures for preparation for the world of work are used by these young people to find a profession suitable to them. Targets and funding in the BBW are developed and planned individually with each rehabilitee. Practical training takes place in small groups in state-of-the-art workshops and classrooms.

The BBW Josefsheim Bigge works with cooperating organisations and enables trainees to take part in company qualification phases in companies in the private sector. Intensive supervision and accompaniment is provided for these company training phases. Trainees and participants in work preparation training measures visit the Heinrich-Sommer vocational college. They receive special education in close cooperation with the BBW in small classes. The BBW integration advisors support the trainees intensively in searching for work in both the region and close to where they live. We support the young people to find a job and hold it over the long term starting from application training, accompanying them to the job interview, through to providing advice once they have been employed. The integration advisors also offer comprehensive advice and support to employers on location.

The workshop for disabled people (WfbM) is a modern production and service provision company. There are 420 jobs available for people with disabilities in the sheltered workshop. In this environment, they receive the opportunity to further develop themselves for their profession according to their wishes and skills. The jobs on offer are highly varied and take into account the type and extent of disability, abilities and the opportunities for development of each person while at the same time promoting these opportunities.