{"id":33574,"date":"2026-03-03T15:17:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/?p=33574"},"modified":"2026-03-03T15:31:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:31:44","slug":"experience-story-work-integration-from-an-employees-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/en\/experience-story-work-integration-from-an-employees-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience Story \u2013 Work Integration from an Employee\u2019s Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dainis is 44 years old and lives in a group apartment at the Social Services Centre \u201cVanags\u201d in Valmiera, operated by the Samaritan Association of Latvia. This group apartment is not just a place to live \u2013 it is an opportunity. An opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to live as independently as possible, to develop self-care and daily living skills, to acquire new abilities, and step by step move closer to the labour market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dainis is one of the participants in the project \u201cStronger Together\u201d, representing employees. He wants to work. And he can work. All he needs is support, understanding, and belief in his abilities. This is precisely the aim of the project \u2013 to help people with disabilities integrate into the labour market by providing training for both employers and employees, ensuring that both sides understand each other and can cooperate successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dainis has done various jobs \u2013 washing cars, working at a sawmill, mowing lawns, and working as a janitor. Employment relationships have often been short-term, as it is difficult for him to maintain focus and interest over longer periods \u2013 something typical for people with intellectual disabilities. However, one thing remains constant: when Dainis works, he works thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like mowing lawns the most \u2013 and I do it very well. There are never any complaints; everyone is satisfied. But I can do other jobs too. During the project, I worked in construction. The supervisor was supportive and showed me how to use the tools. I helped with interior work for a couple of days. When extra help is needed again, I will be able to work,\u201d says Dainis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is exactly how the solution developed and piloted during the project \u2013 \u201cEmployee as a Service\u201d \u2013 operates. The service provider is the social enterprise \u201cSamarie\u0161u darbn\u012bcas\u201d Ltd., established by the Samaritan Association of Latvia, which acts as a bridge between the employee and potential employers. The company employs people with intellectual disabilities and provides various services to other businesses. These may include piecework, auxiliary tasks, and other forms of short- or long-term cooperation. For example, the company \u201cI.U.M.\u201d needed an assistant worker for two days \u2013 and Dainis completed the job. In this way, Samarie\u0161u darbn\u012bcas serves as an intermediary facilitating the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the labour market, acting as a service partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service provider understands the employee\u2019s abilities and needs, the employer has completed training, and both parties clearly understand what to expect. The entrepreneur does not need to establish permanent employment relationships \u2013 this model allows employers to gradually get to know people with intellectual disabilities while outsourcing motivated workers for specific tasks. It is a flexible, humane, and mutually beneficial solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is important to me that the supervisor is understanding. Maybe I do something more slowly, but I do it more carefully. I want to work \u2013 so I can buy my own clothes, go somewhere, see something new,\u201d says Dainis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His desire to work is not only about income. It is also about self-respect, independence, and the feeling of being needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring is approaching \u2013 fieldwork in rural and urban areas will begin, and construction activity will increase. Dainis will not lack work. And perhaps he will be the one who carefully and responsibly completes the next task \u2013 quietly, but with quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project \u201cStronger Together\u201d is implemented within the framework of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021\u20132027 and is co-financed by the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Prepared by Dagnija Kaklautina
Public Relations
\u201cSamaritan Association of Latvia\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dainis is 44 years old and lives in a group apartment at the Social Services Centre \u201cVanags\u201d in Valmiera, operated by the Samaritan Association of Latvia. This group apartment is not just a place to live \u2013 it is an opportunity. An opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to live as independently as possible, to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":33572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[364,355,340,362,365],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-news","category-news-top","category-stronger-together-2","category-stronger-together-en-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n.jpg",1975,1332,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n-300x202.jpg",300,202,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n-768x518.jpg",768,518,true],"large":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n-1024x691.jpg",1024,691,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n-1536x1036.jpg",1536,1036,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/642398124_1376063924550490_3686404561132145057_n.jpg",1975,1332,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Anete Todu","author_link":"https:\/\/developvalmiera.lv\/en\/author\/anete\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Dainis is 44 years old and lives in a group apartment at the Social Services Centre \u201cVanags\u201d in Valmiera, operated by the Samaritan Association of Latvia. This group apartment is not just a place to live \u2013 it is an opportunity. 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