Examples 2021

The Swiss Red Cross Canton of Bern, the Labour Integration Office for Bern and the recycling company Thommen are coming together for a labour integration project: they are running a qualification program to enable recipients of social benefits to undergo a multi-month training program in recycling. Hands-on shifts at recycling companies are offered alongside the theoretical training, with the aim of enabling participants to take up follow-on solutions in the primary labour market upon completion.

The UBS Foundation for Social Issues and Education is supporting this innovative collaboration between the two social institutions and the private sector with a contribution of CHF 50 000.

The numerous Caritas markets across Switzerland provide reduced-price everyday foodstuffs for people affected by poverty, while simultaneously supporting the professional reintegration of people with challenges accessing the labour market. The opening of the new Caritas market in Fribourg creates new labour integration places for people suffering from long-term unemployment, people over 50 with reintegration issues and people with refugee and migrant backgrounds. The work encompasses all the diverse tasks of a retail business, such as procurement, date checks, advice and product sales.

The UBS Foundation for Social Issues and Education is supporting the creation of the new Caritas market in Fribourg with a grant of CHF 10 500.

Verein VoCHabular’s goal is to promote understanding and dialogue between people with refugee and migrant backgrounds and the local population. To overcome language barriers, the association develops multimedia independent learning resources in the form of books and an app for German. These resources are specifically tailored to the situation and needs of people with refugee and migrant backgrounds. The first edition of the independent learning resources was published in September 2018 in Arabic, Persian and English. Now, the learning resources are being translated into other languages such as Turkish, Tigrinya, Amharic, Spanish and French.

The UBS Foundation for Social Issues and Education supports the development and re-print of the «voCHabular» independent learning resources in other languages with CHF 15 000.

Young people with disabilities often have challenges finding a residential home with a suitable daily structure; many institutions have long waiting lists. The new «Casa Ursula» building by the Fondazione Provvida Madre combines accommodation and work, meeting the enhanced demand for housing and employment places in the Mendrisio/Basso Ceresio region. The new building offers 20 employment positions for internal and external clients, across a total of five workshops for ceramic, wood, painting, leather and fabric work. The items produced by clients are sold via the organisation’s own «Bottega» or in the village shop.

The UBS Foundation for Social Issues and Education is supporting the addition of structured daily places to the employment area with a contribution of CHF 50 000.