ParttimePlus

This is a model instrument developed in the Land Berlin, funded by the European Commission ADAPT Programme. It is based on the observation that in relation to large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create a relatively high number of jobs. At the same time, they are more affected by economic imbalances than larger enterprises. In situations of temporary crisis, they often have no other resort than to fire reliable and well integrated staff and thus lose important potentials. Often, public subsidies are not made use of due to lack of entitlement or in order to avoid bureaucratic procedures.

At the same time, SMEs - often described as "resistant to qualification" - risk getting disconnected from important overall economic developments. Daily business impedes necessary strategic positioning exercises and the implementation of organisational and/or technical changes, and this is true in times of crisis as well as in times where order books are full. Existing training or consultancy offers are rarely used because they also fail to take into account existing frame conditions and individual needs.

The instrument PartimePlus is focusing on these two problems: enterprises in crisis or in restructuring processes that are forced to reduce personnel have the possibility to exempt one or more staff from work for a limited period of time without changing the contractual employment relationship. Funding of this measure is shared by the enterprise and the Federal Labour Agency, and staff may have to accept a reduction in come.

During their free time participants can either:

• participate in project activities (e.g. projects in non-profit organisations) that correspond to their qualification and interests, in order to train key qualifications such as cooperation skills, flexibility and team work skills

• attend technical or management trainings

• be transferred to another job or another qualification corresponding to the particularities of the enterprise or the labour market situation

• or be transferred to another enterprise.

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