With Handiwork, disabled workers discover the company

Louis, Jérémy et Ousmane, de l’Esat Osaris, ont découvert le travail à Métro, accompagnés par Alexandra et Jérémy de Handiwork. Midi Libre – K. H.

Immersion en milieu ordinaire validée ! Plus de 80 personnes en situation de handicap se sont vu remettre une attestation de compétence. Un pas de plus sur le chemin de l’inclusion.

This Wednesday morning, at Esat Osaris, skills certificates were handed out. Small official ceremony but above all, for the 80 people with disabilities in a protected environment (IME, Itep, Esat…), the culmination of a year of commitment supported by Handiwork .
Since 2018, Handiwork has been working to include people with disabilities in business. "With our Discovery system, four trainees per structure spent three hours per week for ten months in the company, supervised by a trainer", explains Alexandra Deygas, operational manager at Handiwork.
This year, 21 establishments participated, including ten from Gard, the others are in Hérault, Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rône. And, in Gard, eight companies have agreed to open their doors to welcome these interns: Truffaut, Decathlon, Centrakor, Bricomarché, Métro, Carrefour, Weldom, and Netto.
Objective of this immersion: "Acquire new skills, work on interpersonal skills and know-how", explains Jérémy, one of the Handiwork trainers who followed four workers from Esat Osaris.

Gain self-confidence

And at the time of the assessment, Ousmane, 20 years old, Jérémy, 40 years old, and Louis, 25 years old, (Mathieu, the fourth, is absent) are delighted. "Usually, we all work in green spaces", explains Ousmane who discovered, with his three colleagues, another universe with new requirements: mass distribution at Métro, in Caissargues, with shelving, unloading of pallets and contact with customers.

Well supported by their trainer, they gently stepped out of their comfort zone. “At the beginning, we asked for help, then we learned to organize ourselves better, go faster, respond to customers…", says Louis, who sums up everyone's opinion. New skills acquired that will be useful to them in their work at the ESAT, and in their daily lives too. “What matters is working well, rather than too quickly", smiles Alexandra Deygas. And, the cherry on the cake, at the end of their course, the trainees spend a full week independently without the trainer.
Jérémy has gained confidence in himself and dreams of one day working in an ordinary environment. Because, ultimately, with a little adaptation and kindness, it is possible. “Handiwork creates a bridge between the protected environment and the ordinary environment”, rejoices Diego Caldas, the assistant manager of the Esat Osaris. “Workers learn good postures, companies break down their prejudices and adapt their organizations. This is a first step towards inclusion." And for some ESAT workers, the ordinary environment is no longer an inaccessible dream, it is a possible objective.