“I put together and gathered all the possibilities and used them to get the job I have today”

Part of the project Mutual Integration and the Right to Work – a continuation of the Disabled Refugees Welcome project at Independent Living Institute 2024, a report by Emil Erdtman

Introduction

On four Monday afternoons in May 2024, a group gathered at the Independent Living Institute (ILI) to talk about how migrants with disabilities can find and get jobs in Sweden. A total of 16 people participated, but the constellations varied and therefore the group discussions consisted of a maximum of ten people. The facilitators were Hanna Gabrielsson from the Swedish Red Cross University College and Dorothee Riedel from ILI. Emil Erdtman from ILI coordinated and project manager Tiina Nummi Södergren participated on two occasions. Otherwise, the participants were migrants with disabilities of different ages. They were in varied situations in the Swedish labour market. Some had jobs while one was retired. One of the participants was an asylum seeker and was trying to get back the work permit they previously had. People who were “family immigrants” were part of the group – family connections being the grounds for migration. Authorities, employers and a private company working with supported employment were also represented.

The discussion group is part of the project Mutual Integration and the Right to Work, which is a continuation of the Disabled Refugees welcome project. The discussion group participants allowed project advisors and coordinators to take part in discussions. The invitation letter sent in April emphasised that participation was voluntary. Most of the participants had previously been in contact with the project through friends who recommended the advisory service provided by the project. Two of the advisers were part of the group and shared their stories. An employer received information about the group through a participant who got a job at their company.

All group members are referred to here as “participants” in the group discussions, but the migrants’ stories were in focus. They were the main characters and their stories were commented on and discussed. Participants working with support for jobseekers also contributed with personal stories. Participants who grew up in Sweden had mixed ethnic backgrounds or acquired cultural competence by having lived abroad or having family members who migrated to Sweden. The group included cultural expertise from large parts of the world.

The method used was Appreciative inquiry. It focuses on what works in an organisation or company in order to promote change. Instead of looking for obstacles and problems, you look for the positive aspects: the things you want more of. Cooperrider and Whitney explain in their book Appreciative Inquiry: A positive revolution in change with Diana Whitney, from 2005, how resources, and abilities can be strengthened. There is much more to read about this method, which is used in many areas to support change and innovation. Often you work in a group where everyone contributes in an equal way to investigate positive factors together. It can be a mixture of planning, dreams and fantasies. One method in Appreciative Inquiry is to interview each other about what works well today and what you want more of.

But it is not possible to avoid talking about negative experiences such as vulnerability and discrimination when it comes to the situation of migrants with disabilities. The group discussions have then tried to see in the negative what can be turned into something positive. Sometimes it is about training the mind, sometimes about making the effort to see what can be enabling in the difficulties.

The group discussions were based on co-production or co-creation – that we treat as the same thing. All participants contributed with personal stories. They convey and thus create knowledge. The participants inspired each other and together developed solutions and strategies based on what has worked well in the job search process. Together, knowledge was built and ideas developed that can form the basis for solutions and strategies that migrants with disabilities can use in finding employment.

In the group discussions, support persons from the company Misa, which uses  Supported Employment methodology, participated together with people taking part in the Daily Activities Service according to LSS – that is, the Act (1993:387) on Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments. Misa adapts the method to the individual but follows defined steps such as mapping interests, finding an internship and following up on how things are going there. Most of Misa’s work includes contact with and support for employers and sometimes even colleagues.

The Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) has SIUS consultants who partly follow the Supported Employment methodology. SIUS means “special introduction and follow-up support”. In this publication, “employment officer” is used as a general term for staff in contact with jobseekers at the Public Employment Service. In the quotations the word “administrator” also occurs, which was previously the common designation for the role. In the book, the general term support person refers to someone who works professionally with coaching and supervision towards employment. For example, it could be an employment consultant at a job matching company.

About the Independent Living Institute

The Independent Living Institute (ILI) is a private foundation based in Stockholm. Among other things, ILI promotes better integration processes for migrants with disabilities and supports their right to employment. Work is a human right according to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right is confirmed for persons with disabilities in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Further explanation of the right can be found in General Comment No. 8 to this Convention.

The Disabled Refugees Welcome (DRW) project was run from 2017 to 2020. Among other things, the project noted a lack of knowledge about the risk of multiple discrimination. This led to a second project focusing on the right to work (Mutual Integration and Right to Work – abbreviated RTA). RTA supports the target group with counselling, work cafés and mobile clinics, among other things. The projects have been financed by the Swedish Inheritance Fund.

Mentorship and peer support (mutual support) are key concepts at ILI. ILI wants to strengthen knowledge about the target group among authorities and civil society organizations, to strive for mutual integration through greater participation in the labour market for migrants with disabilities. Mutual integration means that even people with an all-Swedish background need to change and adapt to life together with people from other cultures. For this to happen, authorities, companies and organisations need knowledge about the conditions for migrants with disabilities. The people in the target group benefit from learning how swedish institutions work. By working together across borders and differences, we can create a more welcoming and inclusive labour market for all.

About the Tips Book

The tips in this book come from the conversations that developed and grew during the four meetings. The starting point is the participants’ stories and experiences. The Tips Book is therefore not an authoritative book of facts. For the latest information about Swedish laws and regulations, it is best to visit the authorities’ websites. Here are the most important authorities:

• Employment Agency
• Tax Authority
• The Swedish Migration Authority

This Tips Book is based on the success factors that the group came up with. On the third occasion, a proposal was shown that the group commented on and supplemented. There were, among other things, attitudes, relationships, networking, language and education. The success factors were then used to deepen the discussion and develop solutions. These, in turn, form the basis for a continuation group in the autumn of 2024. The solutions and strategies will then be tested by a group of participants who are looking for jobs. This means that the success factors will be developed further . The idea is to use what we come up with and see how it works.

The language used in discussions was English with the possibility of speaking Swedish. It was therefore a mix. However, most of the quotes are translated from English (translators note: and then back to English in this translation), freely to capture the spirit of the quote.

We hope that quotes, summaries and tips in this book can help those of you who are new to Sweden and have a disability. The participants have shared their stories and suggestions with others in a similar situation. In order to – as one participant put it – not only pour a lot of ingredients out on a table, but also to give a recipe. We have made the following divisions:

Your individual situation

This first section is about migration status, finances and housing, income and bank account, health and family and coordination of support.

Your way into society

This section is about contacts, networks and peer support, language and communication, as well as culture and social codes.

Your path to employment

This section looks at the thoughts you have before applying for a job, how to make a realistic plan, a CV and a section on the art of finding a job to apply for.

Meeting with authorities and support persons

This part is about your relationship to the system as a whole and the various authorities, here primarily the Swedish Public Employment Service. We discuss important documents such as the work capacity assessment and your relationship with support persons.

The workplace

The final section has quotes, summaries and tips on how to contact employers and what support is available to employers – such as wage subsidies, how the work environment functions and as well as assistance and aids. A summary section addresses the success factors we have observed.

Your individual situation

“You have to take care of yourself – there isn’t help for everything.”

The participants believed that the parts of life must fit together. They were aware of their rights but also pointed out that not everything is solved by just asserting rights. You must make life work yourself. Information must be reviewed critically and decisions carefully considered.

Migration status

Your options in the labour market depend on the official migration status you have. Uncertainty about your status in society causes stress.

Migration – whether it is a matter of forced displacement or other forms of immigration causes stress. Self-confidence can be shaken by forced displacement and by experiences of war or long journeys across sea and land. Participants had experienced depression and anxiety. Trauma causes you to be consumed by emotions and to lose awareness of all the possibilities around you. Often a lot of emotions get in the way when you are looking for a job. It can be anxiety and confusion, sometimes related to PTSD, sometimes to sorrows in life, sometimes to social phobia.

A participant who is an asylum seeker tried to register with the Public Employment Service but was refused and told that to register as unemployed you must have a residence permit but that registration was not required to apply for jobs in the services job listings (platsbanken).

Family reunification

Participants were concerned about different types of income requirements they had heard about. It is difficult to get a high salary and difficult to get work when you have a disability. According to ILI, income requirements can mean indirect discrimination against people with disabilities.

But there are different rules if you 1) have a work permit or study in Sweden or if you 2) have a permanent residence permit – or good chances of getting one. There are probably few persons with disabilities in the first group but more in the second. When reuniting with a partner and children, regular income from e.g. salary, allowance or pension is required so that the person who wants to bring the family here can support himself and the family. It is possible to get exemptions from support requirements in case of disability. A place to live with a certain number of rooms is a requirement with a maximum of 2 persons per bedroom. You may not be a boarder or live with your parents. Read more at the Swedish Migration Agency.

Having your family around you is important for your health, which is a prerequisite for being able to work. In the worst case, this becomes a vicious circle.

The positive thing is that there is support for migrants. Asylum seekers – i.e. people who have applied for international protection, some of whom have refugee status – and their relatives can participate in the Swedish Public Employment Service’s Establishment Program. It includes Swedish language courses (SFI) and activities such as internships with employers. The initiatives are determined individually and you must regularly apply for jobs and report your job applications to the Public Employment Service. You can get temporary housing through the Establishment Program. You are placed in a municipality via the Migration Agency. The program lasts for a maximum of two years, and after two years you must find a new place to live – although some municipalities have made exceptions and let families stay.

Finances and housing

Money was a concern for some of the participants. They were in need of financial support and had concerns about losing financial support in the form of income support or sickness compensation – or even their housing – if they were to take a six-month job, for example. Transitions between studies and work were described as complicated. Anyone who starts studying may lose their unemployment benefit.

Among the participants, there was uncertainty about what it means to accept job offers, for example a fear of losing temporary housing if they registered with the Public Employment Service. Possibly this was linked to the fact that those who get a job can get enough income so that financial support is withdrawn. At the same time, you must actively look for a job and be prepared to take a job in order to receive financial assistance at all.

To apply for a job is to throw yourself out there and take a risk. You can lose but also win. But not everyone finds it as easy to do so. It is you who take risks in life. These are difficult judgements to make. The project’s advisors told us that they can’t encourage others to take risks, especially when it comes to housing. It is not easy to find accessible housing if you have certain disabilities. This also applies to people with a Swedish background who have a disability. On the other hand, the advisors informed about what rules applied and helped to build trust in the rights people have in society – and that, for example, it is possible to get financial support back again if a job doesn’t work out.

Income and bank account

To get paid you must be registered with the Swedish Tax Agency. It is possible to pay wages using a payment slip, but employers prefer to pay into a bank account. Getting a bank account can be difficult without a personal identity number. Everyone who is registered as living in Sweden has a personal identity number, but this does not apply to asylum seekers or people from, for example, the Nordic countries.

One participant told how difficult it was to open a bank account having only casual employment during a few months. But at an organisation where they worked, several people got involved so that they got a bank account. The reason for the commitment from the organisation was that the participant showed great commitment to the organisation’s work.

TIP

If you do not have a personal identity number, you can apply for a coordination number from the Swedish Tax Agency.

Health and family

To be able to work, the rest of your life needs to function, such as food, sleep and leisure activities. To be happy, five parts of life need to be in balance, according to one participant. The parts are work, health, housing, friends and family. If you don’t have your family here, you will be unhappy even if you have the other parts. Sometimes exercise is needed to cope with daily life.

The group talked about the tension between protective parents and young people who want to venture out into life and live like others, that is, take risks. Family members were described as over engaged. Then it is important to teach them to listen to the person with a disability. But everyone has to find their solution. It can be about breaking isolation but also realising where you are on life’s journey. Dividing up the different problems in life and seeing them separately was a suggestion in the group.

TIP

Divide the problems!

Coordination of support

Misa helps participants with contacts with authorities. Not infrequently, the Public Employment Service, the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) and the municipality are involved. Poor coordination between authorities is an obstacle in the process of finding jobs, according to the participants from Misa. The authorities are pulling in different directions and are poor at cooperating with each other. For example, someone may need transport services to be able to get to a job. If the municipality denies transport services, everything falls. No one sees the big picture.

The participants called for “contact links” between, for example, healthcare and the Public Employment Service. It is difficult to write to everyone separately. They lacked a hub, a project manager or spider in the web to help with all the contacts. The support persons themselves described that they often took on this task even though it was not really theirs. The municipality’s SIP (coordinated individual plan) meetings are something like that. It is important to have good support people who can help with all contacts.

TIPS

• Find out what you are entitled to!
• Talk to others in the same situation!

Your way into society

Swedish society was described as bureaucratic, but also as protective of diversity of various kinds. These are insights that grow over the years, the participants said. If you are new to society, you do not know what to expect or demand.

Contacts, networks and peer support

“It’s empowering to be with people who have the same type of problems – and the same point of view.”

“When we met, we talked about all that, that I was in the same position and the same situation – [the advisor said:] ‘You’re not alone.'”

“But how would we change the situation if we didn’t speak up, if we didn’t cooperate with each other?”

“When you share, you usually find something in common, and then you find each other in some way.”

Anyone who grew up in Sweden and previously had a job has a larger network. But networks can also be built during the asylum process. Maybe someone in the SFI class has contacts that lead to employment. Maybe old contacts in his home country will help. People from the same background – country and language – can also be good networks for making progress in Sweden and finding work. There is cultural understanding.

The participants talked about various people who provide support: family and relatives but also guardians and neighbours. One participant had a supportive mother – described as “someone who can say that you are good”.

Going out and getting to know others was considered important. Anyone who likes music or cooking should look for such networks – an association, a study circle or whatever. In Sweden, there are associations and clubs for everything, according to the participants. These are natural networks. It’s easy to make contact if you share an interest – maybe football or butterflies. It is through such contacts that you often get a job, explained a support person.

Participants distinguished between emotional support and information about society – how to behave and, for example, communicate with authorities. Both can be had through peer support – supporting and inspiring each other to find ways forward together. Peer support provides both information about the system and solutions that others have found to their problems. It provides better self-confidence and contacts and relationships that can be useful in working life.

Being part of peer support is about being open to learning from others and personal development. In order to be able to provide good support to others, you need to develop yourself and understand what is good advice to give. But “the mutual empowerment must be maintained at all times,” said one participant.

Peer support through authorities was also mentioned. One example was that most of the Swedish Public Employment Service’s consultants who work with deaf people are themselves deaf.

Disability organisations were also mentioned as a platform for networking and for gaining support and awareness of rights. A participant heard from someone in the organisation where they are a member that there was a job opening. They then asked that person to tell the organisation that they were interested and would like to come and visit the office.

“They were very happy and then called me to come for an interview. After the interview, I called the case officer at the Public Employment Service and said that I had been to an interview and wanted that job. The case officer said that it was good and then they came to have a meeting and together we agreed to begin work placement training there.”

“The organisations can provide opportunities”, commented another participant.

For some people it may be a good idea to move outside the big cities, said one participant. It can be easier to make contacts there.

TIPS

• Document your network and good social meeting places!
• Mobilise the resources around you!
• Contact people that speak your language!
• Search for groups or events about what you are interested in!
• Join a group of people in a similar situation!
• Join an association for something you are interested in!
• Apply to study circles and community colleges! There are study circles and evening courses about all sorts of things!
• Tell your friends that you are looking for a job!
• Ask them to share it with others!

Language and communication

“When I speak Swedish or English, you don’t know how funny I can be in my own language.”

The participants pointed out that in the labour market, in addition to being able to speak, you must be able to read Swedish. For example, to work with cleaning at Samhall, you must be able to read the instructions. They saw it as positive that in Sweden there is patience and indulgence with broken Swedish.

For one participant, learning Swedish quickly was the most important thing to get a job. But the participants also said that it can be difficult if you have an intellectual disability or have not learned to read from the beginning. Autism can also involve difficulties in some specific areas.

Not everyone who lives in Sweden speaks perfect Swedish. Many of Misa’s participants are children of immigrants. They came as children or were born in Sweden. Some of them are not good at Swedish. Others have difficulty learning languages, perhaps related to their disability.

Sharing a language with people from the home country was also important. One participant had found a job through such a shared language. When they were matched with an employer who spoke the same language, it led to them getting a job. The SIUS consultant unknowingly matched them with the right employer. The employer told me that they had registered with the Swedish Public Employment Service to look for people to hire. They became interested through the participant’s CV – which was good – but the fact that they spoke the same language and had met in their home country – though not in Sweden, contributed to the overall impression. To get the job, they, like everyone else, first had to try out for the job.

SFI means Swedish for immigrants. The municipality where you live is responsible for SFI education and has information about it. A well-functioning SFI program was highlighted as important. Getting advice on which SFI is best suited is important. Some SFI programs are more individualised. Unfortunately, SFI is not always accessible and adapted for people with different disabilities. But in larger municipalities there may be special groups for, for example, people with hearing impairments.

One participant told us that deaf people are a linguistic and cultural minority that is active and demands their rights. They have the right to an interpreter – even if there is a limited and shortage of interpreters. Sometimes more interpreters are needed for translation between Swedish and another sign language that the job seeker uses. Deaf people get a video phone for contact with authorities and interpreters.

The employment officer told us that they have information about society in different languages. One participant thought this was good but saw it as a dilemma when learning Swedish.

TIPS:

• Find your own method for learning Swedish!
• Use apps such as Duolingo!
• Watch Youtube videos!
• Borrow children’s books from the library!
• Use brochures in your language but compare with the Swedish ones to learn!
• Ask for SFI with special adaptations!
• Pay yourself for language courses!
• Join associations and interest groups!

Culture and social codes

“It’s part of integration to mix.”

“It’s that we’re different, but similar, in some way.”

“Instead of hiding at home or something, it’s better to go out, to develop trust.”

In addition to the language, the importance of understanding the Swedish social codes was discussed. It is not enough to learn how to perform a task. Functioning at a workplace requires social skills. Social codes in the labour market are best learned on site, with colleagues in a work environment. Support persons can help in the margins, when it rubs.

A support person with a mixed ethnic background understood the problems with the codes and was able to explain to his participants why Swedes are the way they are and do what they do. “If you speak too directly or if you just question something, it is perceived as criticism,” said one participant.

The social codes can be subtleties that one is expected to understand implicitly. There are clashes that create emotions and make it difficult to understand each other and to get into working life. It was also pointed out that there are differences within the country. In Stockholm, for example, there may be special codes.

Examples of code are the importance of coffee breaks to form social bonds and that you do not say straight out what you mean, but say, for example: “I think maybe we should change that”. It can be about avoiding conflicts but can also be a way to resolve conflicts, to say that we have to change something but in a softer way. “When Swedes say maybe, it means that it is so,” said one participant. You never say you know, but ‘I think we’re going to do this’, is like an order.

Swedes were described as curious but shy, as afraid of making mistakes. Participants recommended laughing at this because humour helps explain cultural codes. For example, you can imagine what it will be like if you behave in a Swedish way in another country and vice versa. An advisor recommended talking across boundaries and telling them that you don’t understand everything. They first ask how things work in the country the jobseeker comes from and then tell them how it works in Sweden. If you start with Sweden, there is a risk that the person you talk to will switch off,” she said.

Sweden has a culture of consensus where you strive to agree – not push through your own ideas at all costs. But the trend is towards more individualism according to the participants. Even though Sweden has been seen as quite unusual, it is starting to look more and more like the rest of the world. It can be helpful to see similarities between cultures and that we are not so different. For example, everywhere in the world you often get jobs through contacts.

You can’t learn the codes theoretically. By being at a workplace – for example as an internship – you understand why coffee is important and which topics of conversation are ok and which are not. There is always something in common, but also always differences.

TIPS:

• Learn more about Swedish society!
• Check with friends and family about what is ok to say!
• Create trusting, warm and easy conversations!
• Laugh with each other, not at each other!

Your path to employment

Considerations before looking for a job

“It takes a long time to get an overview and pluck up the courage to apply for work”

“After a few years when you become a little independent, when you start to look at life in a different way, then you see that maybe it’s time to look for a job.”

“Even though it wasn’t my dream job, I applied for it anyway.”

The participants believed that the basis for looking for work is one’s own dreams and interests. It is important to start from what you want to do in life. A Misa employment consultant starts by asking the participant about their interests – what they want to work with, what previous experiences they have and what needs they have. Some want to wash dishes, others want to work with 3D graphics. Some want to work with a pen, others with new arrivals. People are different. Only when you do what you want and move towards the point where you want to be will you develop.

A lot of practical things may need to be solved before you can start working. Maybe housing is needed first. Maybe you need to apply for transport service to be able to get to work. Or assistive devices such as wheelchairs or screen reading programs. One participant said that they first needed an adapted toilet to be able to get the self-esteem required to be able to sleep well and thus have the conditions to be able to work.

Obstacles that the participants encountered were perceived prejudices. You may feel singled out if you have income support or sickness compensation. But the possibility of being able to have part-time sick leave and part-time work was also seen as a possibility. They also felt that there is fake news, rumours and disinformation about, for example, Swedish authorities.

As a positive strategy, one of the participants described having to unlearn certain things. It can be prejudices and misinformation, but also things that make us think in the wrong way about ourselves and others. Some people don’t think they can raise a child because they have a disability, but realise that it will be fine once they have children. Similarly, someone may think that they cannot work even though they really can.

TIPS

• Take stock of your resources!
• Start from and build on your interests, not your limitations!
• Check what support your municipality offers jobseekers!
• Healthcare services can provide ADL training – activities in daily life.
• Check out your transport options!
• Make yourself visible in society!
• Acquire knowledge yourself!

Realistic plan

“For me to dare and feel safe, it depends on what I need in my life.”

The group talked about how some people want to arrange everything step by step before they get a job – for example, a partner, housing or better health. An employment consultant from Misa then told us what advice they give to their participants. You can put different goals in life on a staircase or in a table to make it clear that everything does not have to happen at once. It is not always easy to know where to start. The first step can be to find out what is required of you, the employment consultant explained. Someone may say that they want a job in order to be able to have a family, a home, a car and a dog. Then put these goals in a table but at different time spans. I may not be able to get a job in a month but in six months. The dog does not have to come in a month, but maybe in a year or in five years.

With a table, it becomes clear what I can do today, in a week, in a month, in a year, or in ten years. With a clear plan, you can be where you intended in a year or even within six months if everything goes smoothly. The table can also show when it is summer, for example. Perhaps contact with a doctor or occupational therapist is required to move forward. If they are on vacation, the plan may have to be postponed. It’s not your fault! The steps in the plan can be of different heights. This may make it take longer to reach the goal but does not prevent it from reaching the goal. It can be reached!

The employers did not think it was a realistic attitude to only start from their interests and dreams. You have to get a first job, show yourself and then move on through contacts – by someone seeing that you are doing a good job. Usually the best starting point in the labour market is to have a job. From there, you can wish for what you want, but if that doesn’t work, you have to take a step back. But this cannot be applied to everyone. If you come to Sweden with a high level of education, you will not immediately get a job that corresponds to your education, but will have to work your way back to your profession. You then risk getting stuck somewhere along the way.

TIPS

• If you don’t know what you want to work with, start by thinking about it!
• Be realistic and flexible!
• Divide the problems!
• Have foresight and plan the next phase even before the current one ends!

Update CV

“Then it was an interview but no hassle with CVs and stuff.”

The quote comes from a participant who remembers what it was like to get a job as a migrant in the 70s. Today, all job seekers need a CV (=curriculum vitae) with what you have done in life, but above all education and work. During his time at a matching company, one of the participants had learned not only to include paid employment in his CV but also to volunteer assignments, for example in disability rights organisations.

TIPS

• Update your CV!
• Look at other people’s CVs – especially those who got a job!
• Search for good CV examples on the internet!
• Ask an AI (Artificial intelligence) service to make a suggestion of what your CV could look like!
• Include volunteer jobs and association assignments in your CV!
• Get help updating your CV!

Find jobs to apply for

“Congratulations, you did a great interview, we will contact you about the job. And after two weeks, they just finished.”

“Nowadays you have to apply yourself, no one will tell you if there is a job vacancy or something”.

The participants emphasised that it is important to be registered with the Public Employment Service, but that you have to look for and contact employers yourself in order to then apply for the jobs. If you are lucky, you can get support from an employment officer at the Public Employment Service. The best were considered to be SIUS consultants. But the participants had not found any jobs that way. Neither do Swedish-born people, one of them pointed out. Another had never been recommended for a job through the Swedish Public Employment Service, but had been contacted and asked to apply for certain jobs after posting a profile on LinkedIn. The participants often thought there were many requirements in Platsbanken’s advertisements. But someone pointed out that this should be seen as the employer’s wish list. You do not have to meet all the requirements to apply for a job.

TIPS

• Don’t limit yourself by the requirements of the ads! See these as employers’ wish lists! You don’t have to fulfill everything to apply for the job!
• Listen if someone tells you that there is a job!
• Ask people you know to recommend you to different employers!
• Be prepared to try again if it doesn’t work in one place!
• Present your unique combination of background, skills, education and life experience!

Authorities and support persons

Systems that clash but also enable

“Our society is built on numbers, on money, and on simple explanatory models that are black or white.”

“The system is very very slow and inaccessible. Sometimes it is difficult to even meet the case officer. It’s almost impossible to find them unless the case officer tries to contact you himself or herself.”

“They did not treat me like ordinary people, like my sister. They said there are things that are special for people with disabilities.”

The participants felt trapped in a system, but they also saw that they could benefit from this system. The fact that different municipalities have different rules complicates things but flexible rules can also make things possible, for example, it can make it easier to keep housing after completing the introduction program. It is a plus that decisions are often possible to appeal. Others have fought for that system and we must protect it, was the participants’ opinion.

Sweden is built on systems and structures. The participants with a migrant background and disabilities said that they feel compelled to adapt to a social system where they are welcome but have an uphill battle because they were not involved in designing the system from the beginning.

On paper, society has a certain structure and order. But in reality, this model is not followed, according to the participants. Information about how society works can therefore become a trap if taken too literally.

One participant thought it was strange that there are so few statistics. In their home country, they had read that Sweden had kept statistics on its citizens for several hundred years. Still, no one knows how many people have disabilities and how many of these get jobs. Problems should be solved with a clear and fact-based definition of the problem, they believed. The employment officer pointed out that there is no formal division between Swedish-born and immigrants, but that some support measures have different target groups, such as the Introduction Programme.

It is important to understand how the system works and what different terms mean. Then you understand how you yourself are affected in daily life by the decisions made by authorities. Sometimes information about Swedish society is included in SFI education, sometimes not. Anyone who wants support from the system must adapt to the system.

Some studies entitle you to a student loan, others do not. One participant had been registered at the Swedish Public Employment Service for three years and had studied at SFI. When it was over, there was no transfer to something else: “Everything ran out – support, money, contacts. I was thrown out. It affected my family.” From the group came the answer: to plan well in advance for such transitions.

The systems are not always linked. For example, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency have had different systems, although they are working to harmonise them. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s rules for sick leave are different. For sickness compensation, you and your doctor must have assessed your capacity to work. Therefore, the systems are interconnected.

The Public Employment Service is state-owned, but the municipalities also have support for employment through various forms of job agencies. In the worst case, you can end up in a catch 22. Unemployment insurance – a-kassa – is administered by trade unions, but you do not have to be a member of the union to receive unemployment insurance. However, it is not enough to be a member of the union to receive unemployment benefits.

TIPS:

• Stay informed!
• Plan for transitions!
• Make demands! Otherwise, your case might be left hanging.
• Remain strong and wait for an opportunity!

Necessary contact with authorities

“The Social Insurance Agency’s case officer helped me. She said: you have to go to the Employment Service office at Globen because it is specialised for persons with disabilities. I didn’t know about it. So she helped me with that. And when I got there, I got a great case officer there. And then I was paired with a SIUS consultant. After that, I went to two different work placement programs.”

“you don’t have to be grateful in Sweden for help.”

As a person with a disability, you have contact with many authorities. This is mainly about the Public Employment Service. The group emphasised that it is an authority that implements the government’s policy. Some thought that the way the authorities work should be changed, while others thought that it would be difficult and take a long time.

The activities of the Public Employment Service have changed a lot in recent years. Training, equipping and matching jobseekers for work have been outsourced to  external organisations. Some companies specialise in supporting people with disabilities. They emphasised that it is a misconception that the Public Employment Service distributes jobs. It has become even more so in recent years when you don’t even meet anyone. For people with disabilities, there is support, but not solid support, for getting employment. This also applies to Swedish-born people with disabilities.

Authorities must obey laws and systems. Most of the time, they do. If the authorities do not do so, you can speak up and complain. You don’t have to be grateful. You will not be punished if you complain. The authority must listen to criticism. You can appeal some decisions made by an authority to the courts. One participant said that “you have the right to make demands, even if you have low self-confidence or if you have bad baggage”. There are rules that the authorities must respond within a certain time. If you do not receive an answer then you should report this. You can also ask to change your support person if you are not satisfied.

TIPS

• Contact the employers yourself! Don’t wait for the Public Employment Service!
• Get help to write applications and appeal!
• Change to another Employment Service office if you are not satisfied! But don’t let too long pass before you switch. You need time with the new one!

Register with the employment service and tell them about your disability

“If I apply for a job, it is based on my experience, on my background”.

The participants felt that it is important to be registered with the Public Employment Service and to continue to be so in order to receive support – even if it is a very “boring routine”, as one participant said.

To receive extra support – such as contact with a SIUS consultant – you must state that you have a disability. You do this by telling them or ticking the box on the form when you register that you have a disability. In the language of the Swedish Public Employment Service your file is then coded according to your disability. There was uncertainty in the group about where this information was located. Someone thought it felt strange and another thought that the Public Employment Service already had access to this information through the municipality. They told about others who did not want to disclose or talk about their disability. They themselves said that they had accepted this, but they thought that it was sometimes contradictory: to both explain that you can work and have a disability.

To get the support you are entitled to, you have to tell the truth. The group agreed that it is good to state that you have a disability to the Public Employment Service. “Your disability must be clear to the Public Employment Service, they don’t know anything if you don’t tell them,” said one participant. Disability information is not transferred between authorities without approval. The Public Employment Service does not tell others about your disability. The Public Employment Service also does not provide information about your disability to employers if you do not want to. Coding opens up opportunities for support.

TIPS

• Register as a jobseeker at the Swedish Public Employment Service and continue to be registered even if it is a “boring routine”!
• Tell them or tick the form to show that you have a disability!

Work capacity assessment

“I was there for six weeks, I think. And then they said – when I was done from there, ‘Yes, it’s 50% that applies to you.'”

“I explained to him that I’m in a wheelchair and that I can do any job, as long as it’s sitting.”

“I ask myself: how much can I do?”

When you have stated that you have a disability, the Swedish Public Employment Service will ask for medical documentation regarding your capacity to work. It can be written by a doctor or occupational therapist. Work capacity is assessed by a doctor or occupational therapist. This can be done in a few different ways, but they often write based on what you tell or what you agree on. It is therefore important what you tell us about your work ability. The Swedish Public Employment Service’s occupational therapists can also make assessments of work capacity based on the agency’s rules. It is important to have this document and what is in it. That is the ticket to further support.

There are three levels of work capacity: 25, 50 and 75 percent – except for 0 or 100 percent. You must have at least 25 percent work capacity to be registered with the Public Employment Service. The levels are unwieldy according to the participants. Maybe you have 10 percent work capacity one day and 110 percent the next.

The participants had different experiences of work capacity assessment. One had been at “Ability” for six weeks and was tested in different ways. It is not easy to know how much you can do and even more difficult to explain this to a doctor or occupational therapist. Some disabilities require extra time to take care of the body. This means that the possible working hours are reduced. The participants also said that the capacity to work depends on the tasks involved and what kind of job it is. It is not possible to put a number on someone’s work capacity in general. It is also difficult to know when it is appropriate to report a change in work capacity.

Even if doctors and occupational therapists do their job well, their words and formulations can complicate things when certificates are used by others in decisions that are life-changing for you. Authorities can get hooked on certain words. An example from the group was when it said that you could “initially” do certain things. It then became unclear what was meant. If it says that someone can move themselves, it is not clear how far.

It was humiliating when one’s capacity was misunderstood. One of them told me about being offered a cleaning job when they could only do jobs sitting down – for example with computers. Having a disability may mean that extra adaptations are needed, but it does not necessarily make you less employable. “No one can do all the jobs”, as one participant said. You can be just the right person for a job, even if you have a disability. In some jobs, it is also a merit to have a disability.

TIPS

• Be prepared to test your work capacity!
• Think about how many hours you can work and why!
• Ask a doctor for a certificate of disability and work capacity!
• Describe for the doctor what you can and cannot do (it is difficult for the doctor to guess)
• Ask the doctor to approve the draft certificate!
• Ask someone you know to look at the wording!
• Do not tick the box that certificates are to be sent directly to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency or the Swedish Public Employment Service! You should check what they write about you first.
• Ask the Public Employment Service to pay if you have to pay for the documentation!

Build relationships with support persons

“In reality, it depends very much on which case officer you have got.”

“I’m glad I got a good administrator, a SIUS administrator, who works with people like me.”

“I was very sad and contacted this person who was responsible for me and asked: Why are you sending me to those people, I expect you to send me to exactly the right place, to the right person, someone who understands my problems.”

“It was so strange, we met and after that she never reached out to me. And when I tried to contact her, I was told: yes, she’s coming back – I don’t know when.”

“If you meet the jobseeker, you get an idea – if you are a professional”

The participants described relationships with different support persons. Someone remembered getting very good support from a counsellor in habilitation, but thought it was difficult to get such support today. There was good experience of the Church of Sweden’s deacons and BOSSE – Council, Support & Knowledge Center. It is a psychosocial habilitation that works with issues related to disability.

Although it is sometimes unclear which support person is being referred to, the stories about the Public Employment Service were sometimes about frustrating meetings. The participants found it difficult to keep in touch with the employment officers. The participants attended meetings they were called to. Few had taken their own initiative. One participant said that an employment officer called once every two months and asked how things were going, but for another six months passed without contact as they were sent to job matching companies that sent them to training programs and then to internships.

Making good contact with an employment officer was not so much about systems as about luck, according to the participants. A good administrator is committed and cares. But not everyone is equally committed. Concrete help described included training courses and help with updating CVs. But one participant experienced that the employment officer did not believe in their abilities. Another did not get help with writing a CV and was told they had such a high level of education that they should be able to do it themselves.

But one employment officer was described as kind, professional and helpful. They put the applicant in contact with an employer and visited the workplace in person several times. To meet a good employment officer is to be lucky, according to the group participants. What was appreciated was meeting the employment officer “face to face”. Sometimes the first support person they met in person was a SIUS consultant at the Public Employment Service.

The employment officer in the group said that the role of employment officers had changed so that they no longer meet jobseekers in person. However, they emphasised how important it is to meet the jobseeker in person, sit down and see each other. It provides a completely different knowledge about a person to what you get from a phone call or a chat communication. Misa’s employment consultants work with about ten people each and have therefore better conditions for getting to know the person they support.

The relationship with various support persons could be experienced in the form of powerlessness and lost time. The support person is described as someone who sends you around without understanding which jobs work. It felt humiliating to be “sent” to different programs. One participant thought it felt pointless to be moved around between different matching companies and internships. They told me that they had repaired mobile phones in their home country and were therefore sent to a phone company, but did not think it felt right at all.

The positive strategy was to “push from the other side” to make contact. One tip was to communicate via email.

TIPS

Get help from a support person or advisor!

Get in touch yourself!

Build a good relationship!

Ask what help you can get from the support person and what plans they have for you! Is the plan for the support person to contact a certain number of employers, help you write a CV or something else? There may be misunderstandings if you do not understand the setup.

If the relationship doesn’t work out, ask to change!

Find a job you want and ask the support person what they can help you with!

Get counselling help if available.

Contact the deacons of the Church of Sweden, who can help write certificates in correct Swedish.

The workplace

The path to employment can go through internships, work placement training or an education. Contact with the employer is crucial for getting a job and then for the job to work. Authorities and support persons can refer you to an employer or recommend you to an employer. But it is the employer – through a manager or recruiter, for example – who decides who should be hired. They choose who they think can best accomplish the task they want to get done. No one can force them to accept someone for an internship or employment. They say: “I want the kind of person who can do this and that.”

Find and contact potential employers

“I put together and gathered all the opportunities and used them to get the job I have today”.

“If you want to go all the way to getting a job, you need to put yourself aside a bit”

“If we don’t sell then I’ll lose my job.”

The participants described coincidences that led them to come into contact with an employer. Selling yourself and speaking up for yourself in front of employers is not easy. An employer who helped customers hire talked about matching people. Those who call more than once and are a little cocky have a better chance, they said. But it must take time for it to be a good match. In general, it is more difficult to get employment if you have a disability and if you have a migrant background. At the same time, people with disabilities and migrant backgrounds are hungry for jobs. They have been through tough things and have life experience that may make employers interested.

One employer told me that they themselves got a job a long time ago through a project where people with disabilities got internships at private companies. The project management talked to the managers to make sure it worked well. This is exactly what participants at Misa get help with. Misa’s employment consultants talk to employers about a person’s skills and opportunities for support. Misa suggests adaptations that can include special aids but also simple measures such as drawing curtains. Not least, Misa follows up on internships and checks that everything is working well.

According to Misa, it rarely works to call the local manager at a nursing home, for example. They call a senior manager in the municipality or at the company. The CEO is often more open and can easily get others in the organisation to hire. But you need to be confident and put yourself on display: tell them that you have a solution that makes their work easier. Employers are grateful for help in finding good solutions that get tasks done.

For the employer, it is convenient to find a suitable person through contacts, but there are several other ways. The employers in the group told us that they want to get a certain job done. Before hiring they wanted to get to know the person.  For them to hire someone then that person must be someone they could appreciate and trust. The person should be interested in the job and it is an advantage if they are clever, pleasant and loyal. It is often not enough to just send a CV to employers. Often someone you know needs to recommend you and tell you how good you are.

An employer in the group explained that employers weigh the risks and rewards of hiring someone. They often unconsciously seek someone who is like themselves. Therefore, it is a good idea to try to fit in and adapt if you want the job. By putting the person you work for first, the employer feels comfortable with you. Later there is the opportunity to develop and also show one’s personality at work. But one participant pointed out that you should not accept everything. In some situations, you can say no to jobs you don’t want.

TIPS

• Become a member of an unemployment insurance fund! And if you want trade unions that can help with problems at work.
• Contact the employer yourself, do not wait for the Public Employment Service.
• Build a good relationship with employers!
• Make yourself visible to employers!
• Show interest and energy!
• Bring up the benefits you bring: that you work hard and really want the job and will do it well!
• Do not hide disability, but also do not list all the limitations it may entail. You can take responsibility for them yourself.

Support for employers – for example, wage subsidies

“If you already have a job, it’s easier to find the next job”

“if you have good references and good contacts then it’s easy in Sweden, that’s my experience.”

According to the participants, whether employers employ people with disabilities depends on prior knowledge. Employers who have an open mind, a relative or family member with a disability are more positive about hiring someone with a disability. It may also be that you have a background where you have learned to help and support your fellow human beings in different ways, the participants believed. TV programmes such as Another Part of Köping have also played a major role in improving and de-dramatising the image of people with disabilities.

Many employers need support to hire someone with a disability. Pedagogical support and guidance on how to behave and solve different situations can be obtained from companies such as Misa. They explain to employers how they can adapt the workplace so that an employee can better perform the task, but also so that the workplace suits the employer himself. Someone may only be able to work a couple of hours a day and then the employer may need support to find a good solution for it.

Misa can also speak in front of the entire staff with the participant’s permission. The purpose is to facilitate understanding and, in some cases, preemptively prevent irritation and misunderstandings about how someone functions in a workplace. Misa’s employment consultant then speaks in general terms about the disability as well as with warmth and positive energy. Humour brings out empathy in colleagues.

An older participant came to Sweden in the 70s and remembers how the Public Employment Service placed her in a job. They also remembered a quota system where employers were forced to hire a certain proportion of people with disabilities. While many countries have such systems, Sweden instead has wage subsidies. This means that the employer receives a contribution to the salary via the Public Employment Service. The wage subsidy covers part of the salary of someone who cannot do as much as others due to their disability. The wage subsidy is reviewed every year for a maximum of four years. Many employers are happy to accept wage subsidies for a period of time, but when they see that someone is doing a good job, they may want to hire without wage subsidies. With wage subsidy, the employer can test and see what the person is capable of – and then hire without wage subsidy.

Not all employers receive wage subsidies. It must be approved by the union and an employer with a small business told them that they did not receive a wage subsidy because they had not met all the requirements for payment to a collective agreement insurance. 7,000 per month for this insurance was too much for his small business.

Wage subsidies were described by the participants as something positive, which gave them a chance to work. But also as difficult to handle. The employer receives money for an employee’s reduced ability to work at the same time as tasks are to be performed. As an employee, you want to show yourself capable while the wage subsidy signals reduced work capacity.

Another opportunity for jobseekers to enter the labour market is new start jobs. This support is given to people who have been unemployed for a long time or who have never worked.

TIPS

• As an employer, take out insurance for your employees through Fora (an insurance provider) if you do not have other collectively agreed insurance!
• Check with the Public Employment Service what support is possible! Maybe a wage subsidy or a new start job subsidy (nystartsjobb)!

Assistance and aids in the work environment

“I had been looking for a job for a long time, so it was a big deal for me to become part of Samhall.”

“And when I got that job, I of course received aid: in part support and encouragement, emotional and material support from the Public Employment Service and the case officer there. It was really supportive, I got energy from it.”

“I’ve tried everything, and I don’t know how to do it – I’m stuck.”

Employers are obliged to make adaptations. The Public Employment Service can contribute with assistive devices. The participants emphasised that you must continue to be registered with the Public Employment Service if you have assistive devices, an interpreter or a wage subsidy when you have a job. It has happened that staff at the Public Employment Service have deregistered people because they did not know this.

Still, it can be difficult to make it work at the workplace. One of the participants has been forced to reduce their working hours because they do not have assistance for toilet visits, for example. What hindered was a lack of personal assistance, which arose after the municipality decided that they no longer belonged to the category of people that are entitled to services by the Swedish Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS) – despite needing help of a highly private nature. It created frustration. The positive thing was that they still had the job. They solve it partly by drinking less water. But they wanted to, and could, work more than the 25 percent they worked today.

For Misa, it is important to quickly find a workplace where the participant can stay and develop. A workplace should be welcoming and accessible. This applies, for example, to toilets. The buildings must be adapted. If they are not, you can report the lack of accessibility as discrimination to the Equality Ombudsman (DO).

Work placement training was described as a good chance to get into a workplace. Then the employer can get to know you and you can ask about continued work. One participant trained for six months, then the program was extended so that it was over a year, something that he appreciated. After several months of training, one of the participants was employed at the workplace.

The participants were ambivalent about being in workplaces or contexts where everyone has a disability. One of them told how they were put in a small room with other people they didn’t know. The only thing they had in common was that they had various disabilities. At the same time, they had felt exposed and alone when they were sent to workplaces where they had been the only one with a disability. The workplace was not adapted and there was no room to move with a wheelchair. “After two weeks, they just said – we can’t have you here, it’s not adapted here”. There was a lack of both understanding and willingness to change.

Being able to sometimes bring children to work, such as when you don’t have childcare, was seen as an advantage and good flexibility. Another form of flexibility was being able to work online, often from home. One participant told us that they could work from home and the Public Employment Service provided a chair and other support. Misa also told me that some of their participants are engaged in online gaming. One participant had received a chair via the Public Employment Service as an aid to have at home. Another participant who is blind told me that they have worked with international contacts online. In addition to saving money for travel, no guide or assistant was needed. Another advantage is being able to rest when you get tired or have migraines. Being able to work whenever you want – for example at night – was seen as an advantage.

Others said that you should not sit at home all the time, but also get out and meet your colleagues at a workplace. What one of the participant’s employers had done: not adapting the office but instead making them work only from home, this was discrimination in the view of another participant. It is the employer’s obligation to make adaptations to the workplace.

For the participant who is blind, it was an inaccessible moment when the employer handed out papers with new information. At the same time, it was an advantage to be physically in the room because then you will find a solution to the problem together – for example, an email. If people with disabilities sit at home, no adaptation will take place in society.

The participants said that a well-established relationship with the employer and that they trust you makes them more positive about making adjustments. Together, you can design and adapt the work environment so that you as an employee can carry out your assignment but also thrive and develop. The fact that colleagues appreciate and trust you was also a positive factor – something not everyone thought about. Finally, it is important to find a good balance between work and the rest of life. It’s neither good to be completely exhausted after work nor completely wound up by everything going on.

TIPS

• Stay registered with the Public Employment Service even when you have work!
• Make sure you have unemployment insurance!
• Be clear to the employer about what adaptations you need!
• Ask your employer to look into solutions!
• Make the employer feel comfortable with your disability!
• Report lack of accessibility!

Success factors

In summary, the group discussions revealed several examples of how the participants got jobs – and the joy of this. They told us in different ways about paths to work. One participant had struggled for many years and described it as a challenging time, but also that there were opportunities and that the experiences contributed to them finally getting a job.

Sometimes it was described as luck and coincidence to have made certain contacts. For example, some had come into contact with the DRW project and its sequel RTA through friends and then been directed to the project’s advisors. One such coincidence was being interviewed by a journalist who, after the interview, tipped off an organisation that works with migrants with disabilities. “Then I came here and met [advisors], first started as a volunteer and then got hired.” One person who got a shorter employment in the project experienced it as important. They had googled for an organisation that works with people with disabilities, emailed and received a response from ILI’s advisors. Continuous contact with the advisory service had strengthened the people in their job search.

The participants had received support from SIUS consultants, occupational therapists, an audiologist, etc. Participating in activities part of rehabilitation was seen as an opportunity to train and try different activities. But they also felt that sometimes authorities did not cooperate with each other or provide good information. This created stress. However, some participants experienced good support from the authorities by the people they had been in contact with. For the participants, personal contact with a single individual employment officer was crucial. However, the support of the Public Employment Service is nowadays centralised and more or less anonymous. You get a new contact every time you call. SIUS is an exception, then you get an individual contact.

Others emphasised emotional support within the family. In particular, it emerged that the community with those who share a common language can be an advantage for getting a job. This also applies to contact with – and membership in – civil society organisations such as disability organisations.

There are many factors that combine advantageously when someone gets a job. For one participant, for example, it was a combination of the CV matching the employer’s wishes, that they spoke the same language and had met before, and that the applicant proved to be able to carry out the work on a work sample. Showing dedicated and loyal behaviour was also something that the participants highlighted. It helps to get a job. The participants also said that you should have a positive view of your own abilities – and “unlearn” negative prejudices. In order to strengthen your position in the labour market, you must strengthen both your self-confidence and your work abilities.

There is a lot you can do outside of working life that still strengthens you on the way there. Your CV and prospects before applying for a job can be strengthened by volunteering at an organisation or by attending study circles about something you find interesting. There are more opportunities than you think in the labour market. But at the same time, it is important to remember that all people have the same value, regardless of whether you have a job or not. It is possible to live a good life even if you cannot work or do not succeed in the labour market.

Table of participants

	PARTICIPANT	May 6	May 13	May 20	May 27
1	Facilitator 1	x	x	x	x
2	Facilitator 2	x		x	X
3	Coordinator	x	x	x	X
4	Project manager		X		x
5	Advisor 1	x	x	x	X
6	Advisor 2	x	x	x	X
7	Advisers	X
8	Misa 1		x	X
9	Misa 2			x	X
10	Employer 1	X
11	Employer 2				X
12	Asylum seeker	x	x		X
13	Employee	x	x		X
14	Employee	x	x	x	X
15	Relative	x	x	x	X
16	Student	x
Number		12	10	9	12

Illustrations

Rights and opportunities in Swedish society

The experience of migration status is depicted by a person standing on top of several layers of enabling rights and above is a fan of three arrows with labels: Housing and Education, Work, Travel and Healthcare. The first layer of enabling rights is Human Rights with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – everyone who lives in a municipality has the right to a reasonable living standard, for example housing and employment. The next layer is International rules on asylum – housing and acute care, more for kids. The next layer is the European Convention – the right to live with family. Then follows EU directives with Free movement for work and the Temporary Protection Directive in an attached box. The highest layer of rights is Swedish rights for residents – Care, support and service. Attached to this level are the three labels: 3-year residence permit, Permanent residence permit and Citizen. The Municipality is responsible for housing, education, transport services, home care and more. The Region is responsible for public transport, care, assistive devices and more. Behind and overlapping these two boxes is the Central government with the Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and more.

Getting a job in Sweden

The door to employment in Sweden is the Work Permit. It points at two large overlapping circles labeled: Meaningful employment and Labour market. In Labour Market there are more labels: Public sector, Private business, Self-employment & small businesses. Where the circles overlap there are Samhall, Civil society, Cooperatives & social enterprises. Meaningful employment includes Daily activities according to LSS. Three arrows point from below towards Labour market with the labels: Wage subsidy, Assistive devices, Internships, job training, rehabilitation, education, etc. “The label Quota is crossed out because there are none in Sweden. The base of the illustration has three boxes: Employment service, Misa and other support companies, and Municipal social services and employment services etc.

The road to work

On the left Your individual situation begins on a foundation of Health, Housing, Family, Friends and Work. The person follows a curved path from left to right towards Work on the right side. The path passes five signposts and the content of the signs follows the book’s five chapters with the themes found in the chapter headings. The path to employment varies. It can be messy and crooked, but there are solid supports along the way.