District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo discussed the current range and work of the Blieskastel workshops with Eva Paulus, workshop manager at Blieskasteler Werkstätten, and Bettina Rivera, division manager for participation in working life at Ökumenisches Gemeinschaftswerk Pfalz GmbH. Both women were delighted to accept the invitation to the district administration office, not least to mark the 20th anniversary of the Blieskasteler Werkstätten, which are run by Ökumenisches Gemeinschaftswerk Pfalz GmbH and were celebrated with a large open day in the spring of this year. District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo and Dr Ulrike Zawar, Head of the Labour, Social Affairs and Health Division, and Dietmar Schönberger, Head of the Job Centre, both of whom are associated with the Blieskastel workshops, offered their warmest congratulations.
The Blieskasteler Werkstätten are a state-recognised facility for the professional and social integration of people with disabilities into working life in accordance with Section 225 of the German Social Code IX and have been providing jobs for people with mental disabilities since 1986. They have a production hall, a service centre for scanning services and a technical centre with a social building for employees. Eva Paulus reported that there are currently 118 workshop employees, 76 of whom come from the Saarpfalz district. "We have a wide range of work activities in various sectors. The deployment of employees in simple to complex activities enables them to further develop their professional skills. There are also regular offers for personal stabilisation and support as well as vocational training measures. We work in a person- and resource-orientated way and empower people to take responsibility and self-determination - in short: help them to help themselves," explained Eva Paulus. The two dedicated managers emphasised the importance of reliable networking with companies in the region that enable contact with the primary labour market. "It's definitely a win-win situation for both sides," they both stated.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo emphasised: "Facilities such as the Blieskasteler Werkstätten are indispensable for people with disabilities, as they are places of vocational rehabilitation and integration. The life and experience of appropriate vocational training for people with disabilities opens up essential and existential paths in their professional and personal development and is beneficial for our inclusive society." He warmly thanked Eva Paulus and Bettina Rivera for the interesting exchange on site and for their tireless work, which opposes stigmatisation and instead focuses on diversity and quality improvement in vocational training for people with disabilities.