Door opener project helps refugees find jobs

With a "door-opener" the job-hunting can be much easier.Birgit Betzelt/DCV

Around 40 groups of two, each consisting of a volunteer "door opener” and a refugee, report on their experiences job-hunting on the project platform www.werde-tueroeffner.de, which was created specifically for this project. Their reports provide a realistic picture of how stony the way into the working world can often be. These authentic reports have induced many people to comment on them on the web and help with actual job offers. Thus, one of the project’s main objectives has been met: Caritas wanted to make it clear that anyone can become a door opener for refugees if their own networks are activated.

Successful digital project

One reason why the "Door opener” project was so successful was also in connection with the marketing strategy in the social networks. Caritas reached around 1.6 million people via Facebook and Twitter. Organisations such as Pro Asyl and the Amadeu Antonio Foundation as well as media such as Bayerischer Rundfunk, Südwestrundfunk and the Hamburger Morgenpost contributed to this. Within three weeks the project’s website had more than 50,000 page views.

A lot of background information was provided online for the volunteer door openers, who supported refugees at 25 Caritas project sites Germany-wide. In addition, Caritas showed the expert talks live on its Facebook channel. Viewers were able to ask their questions directly on the subjects of integration in the job market, asylum law and training opportunities. Further, Caritas volunteer centres and organisations of the Catholic Women’s Community Service (SkF) as well as project sites of the Federal German programme "Coordination, qualification and promotion of volunteer support for refugees” were involved in the project. At the end of the project week, four internships, a trainee contract and a temporary job were provided.