Potsdam sets signs for inclusion: Shift change starts on October 10th!

Potsdam sets signs for inclusion: Shift change starts on October 10th!

On October 10, 2024, the state capital Potsdam and the city and state library take part in the nationwide “Shift change” project. This innovative program enables employees to exchange their jobs with colleagues from other areas - in this case, an employee of the library will exchange their job with a DRK workshops for half a day. The aim of this initiative is to reduce barriers and to raise awareness of the challenges and skills of people with disabilities.

dr. Tina Denninger, the representative for people with disabilities in Potsdam, emphasizes the importance of this project. She explains that "shift change" makes a valuable contribution to the creation of an inclusive work environment. "Prejudices can be reduced by the change of perspective and the understanding of each other can be promoted," said Denninger. People with disabilities often experience that they are disadvantaged due to structural barriers and misunderstandings on the labor market.

support from the city library

The director of the city and state library, Marion Mattekat, also expresses a positive statement about participating in this exchange. She claims: "It is very important to us to promote diversity and participation. The 'shift change' offers a great opportunity to exchange ideas and learn each other. The encounter of different lifestyle and working worlds can be very enriching." Their support reflects the library's commitment to act as a pioneer for inclusion.

The "Shift Change" project is not only limited to Potsdam, but a Germany -wide initiative that brings employees from workshops for people with disabilities and employees of the general economy. In 2023, 240 workshops from all 16 federal states took part in the project. Over 1,550 workshop employees and 1,430 employees from the general labor market were able to benefit from this campaign, which underlines the value of the change of perspective.

For the participants, the exchange is not just a professional opportunity; It is also an opportunity to overcome barriers in people's minds. More information about the action day and the project can be found at www.schichtwechten-deutschland.de .