This qualitative study aims to explore the valuable functionings—things that people consider to be important—of theolder long-term unemployed and their ability to achieve valued outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conductedwith 20 long-term unemployed people aged 45 and over. Participants were included through purposeful sampling. Thetheoretical frameworks of the latent deprivation theory and the capability approach were used to develop an interpretiveanalysis. Nine valuable functionings were identified: social contact, feeling appreciated, structure, feeling useful, meaningfulness,autonomy, financial resources, paid work, and being active. These valuable functionings were partly accessiblethrough the activities that people performed, varying from physically active and physically passive activities to informalwork. The functionings of meaningfulness, autonomy, financial resources, and paid work seemed to be difficult to achieve. We identified three groups. The first consisted of people whose work status changed when they entered the benefit system; for them paid work was still a valuable functioning, and they experienced the most difficulties in achieving valued outcomes. The second group also experienced a change in work status once they started to receive benefits, but those people adapted to their new situation by attributing greater value to other functionings. The third group had no change in work status, e.g., housewives who had applied for a benefit because they were not able to make ends meet after a divorce. This group did not experience a loss of functionings due to unemployment, nor did they try to achieve other functionings. The results of this study indicate a need for a more personalized, tailor-made approach, with an emphasis on an individual’s valued outcomes instead of on rules and obligations.
Re-structuring of a Dutch mono-industrial region; example of TwenteTable of contents of the chapter Introduction Geography and location of Twente Industrialization of Twente and development of the Textile Industry Decline of the Textile Industry Restructuring Twente: arguments for a regional innovation strategy Moving towards a more diversified economy Stronger co-operation between governments, universities, and industries The role of universities and the example of ‘Kennispark Twente’ Further regional and international co-operation Twente today
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In het kader van nieuwe wetgeving op het gebied van onderwijs en arbeidsmarkt én een Nationale Groeifonds aanvraag met als werktitel “Leave No Youngster Behind” heeft het ministerie van SZW opdracht gegeven tot de onderhavige, kortlopende voorstudie, vanuit de constatering dat er nog te weinig zicht is op hoe evidencebased interventies voor jongeren die buiten het onderwijs en/of de arbeidsmarkt zijn zo effectief en efficiënt mogelijk zijn vorm te geven en te implementeren. Dat inzicht is voor de initiatieven van groot belang.Deze voorstudie betreft een systematische literatuurstudie met als doel een beeld te krijgen van de kenmerken van succesvolle interventies die de afgelopen jaren zijn ingezet voor jongeren die buiten onderwijs en/of arbeidsmarkt zijn geraakt in de leeftijd van 15 tot 27 jaar. Er is specifiek gezocht naar (internationale) studies waarin een interventie wordt beschreven. Aan de hand van vooraf gedefinieerde criteria zijn 801 artikelen gescreend en teruggebracht naar 21 relevante artikelen die de basis vormen voor deze literatuurstudie.
