Selectivity and Ambiguity in Working Cultures: Resource-based and Potential-oriented Organization of the Working World for Refugees on the Examples of the Sectors of Geriatric Nursing, IT-economy and Building Trade / SELMA

Project aims and Objectives

In order to cope with immigration flows, such as the current refugee immigration, - in the sense of a successful integration - local/regional labour market integration of the target groups is an essential factor in such an endeavor. Strategies for a socially and economically sustainable management of the current refugee immigration are carried out in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in close interconnection of socio-demographic, socio-structural and economic structural change.

This holds special opportunities for North Rhine-Westphalia, but also risks, at the same time. The three sectors, the geriatric nursing, the IT economy and the building trade are already of great importance for the labor market integration of refugees in NRW. The sensitization, interpretation and dealing with (professional) cultural differences in the context of specific industrial, professional and work cultures is a critical success factor in the integration process of refugees. Both processes of the entrance into the world of employment and the development of further perspectives in the world of employment for refugees need therefore to be closer analyzed. The present data indicate, that often, despite a successful integration of refugees into education or a workplace, the drop-out quotes still are high.

Thus, it seems as if, sector-specific working environments are currently only conditionally able to support a resource-based and potential-oriented integration process. They often forget to take into account the complex occupational and developmental biographies of refugees as well as their interests and expectations. But, it are these individual experiences and skills, which can actively make an impact on the domestic world of employment in a resource-oriented and potential-oriented way, so that a sustainable, socially-cultural and economic contribution is possible.

Project procedure

The research project “SELMA” starts with the examination of the question on how selective processes of the integration into workplace environments in the three sectors (geriatric nursing, IT economy, building trade) proceeds. It explores the ambiguities and selection processes that complicate the further development process in the world of employment against the background of historical and path-dependent working cultures. The following work package are planned for the project:

  1. Target group and sector profile analysis
  2. Acquisition of biographical potential
  3. Mapping of the field of investigation and inter-company selectivity analysis
  4. Establishment of an expert advisory board
  5. Reconstruction of integration and development processes at the company level
  6. Diachronic analysis: social transformation, migration and the world of employment
  7. Development of scenarios and recommendations for actions
  8. Transfer of knowledge and development of an interdisciplinary research and competence center for the integration of refugees into the labour market