Telenor Open Mind celebrates 15 years of valuable work integration
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Getting rid of labour market discrimination
(Fornebu, Norway - 22 August 2011) Many people with physical handicaps and
immigrant backgrounds meet closed doors in the labour market. Norway's largest
work training programme - Telenor Open Mind - on Friday celebrated 15 years of
successfully motivating physically handicapped job seekers and help them get
ready to take part in working life. Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm
congratulated on the anniversary and noted that three in four who attend the
programme end up in ordinary employment.
Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm was joined in the Open Mind celebrations by
the leader of the opposition Conservative Party (Høyre) Erna Solberg and more
than 200 employees from Telenor and other companies. Over the past 15 years 200
people with physical handicaps have had their competence mapped, developed and
made visible. One of the inspiring voices heard during the celebrations was that
of Open Mind participant Tony Johnsrud. Tony travels 40,000 km every year
between Roa in Hadeland and Fornebu in Oslo - that's the equivalent of
travelling around the equator. His journey into working life was not easy,
because Tony Johnsrud needed transport subsidies and other help to be an equal
competitor in the labour market. Today Johnsrud is a shining example of
successful workplace integration and has been working full time for Telenor
customer services for nine years.
"Society and employers both must adapt to help people with physical handicaps
get into jobs," he says. Norwegian businesses need workers with different life
experiences and skills in the face of a complex labour market and in order to
create economic and social growth, Johnsrud adds.
Plurality in practical terms
There are other things besides psysical handicaps that close doors to the labour
market. Many people with minority backgrounds meet prejudice and discrimination
when looking for work. Telenor's CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas thinks a heatlhy
company will mirror the plurality in the labour market.
"Telenor Open Mind is about people being allowed to be different, and companies
deliver better results when not all of them are the same. Since the beginning in
1996 Open Mind has contributed to plurality and has helped many gap the divide
they've felt when trying to get work," said Baksaas.
The Open Mind program is part of Telenor's corporate social responsibility, and
the organization of work tasks for integration fits well with Telenor's
international profile and as one of Norway's leading companies.
Head of Telenor Open Mind Ingrid Ihme supports her CEO's vision.
"The Open Mind programme is a win-win situation for employers, participants and
society as a whole," says Ihme. "We are all winners when we include people who
face work related handicaps. At the programme's end a full 75 per cent of the
participants have found regular work, many with Telenor but even more in other
companies. I am happy to work for a company that is in the vanguard of this area
and I hope we inspire Norwegian businesses to actively pursue workplace
integration," says Ihme, who has been part of Open Mind since the start.
Political debate
During a ceremony at Telenor's headquarters - a building which is universally
designed - Open Mind was praised by both Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm and
Conservative leader Erna Solberg. Telenor Executive Vice President and President
of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) Kristin Skogen
Lund and Ingrid Ihme took part in a debate alongside the visitors and Bærum
deputy mayor Lisbeth Hammer Krog on how workplace integration strengthens
Norwegian businesses and what other measures need to be introduced. The guests
underlined the important contribution Open Minds has made to get people with
physical handicaps into work, and that all companies which have pursued similar
activities say they have got more back than what they invested in such
programmes.
Photos from the debate and celebration of Open Mind at Telenor Fornebu, Friday
19 August may be found at:
http://telenor.com/en/news-and-media/multimedia-gallery/press-
releases/2011/telenor-open-mind-celebrates-15-years-of-valuable-work-integration
(photos: Halvard Lundgaard).
Picture 1: CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas during the 15 year anniversary of Open Minds
Picture 2: To the left, head of Telenor Open Mind Ingrid Ihme, with Norway's
three most powerful women Telenor Executive Vice President and President of the
Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) Kristin Skogen Lund,
Labour Minister Hanne Bjurstrøm and Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg
Picture 3: Open Mind participant and Telenor employee Tony Johnsrud
Picture 4: Jon Fredrik Baksaas, Tony Johnsrud and Hanne Bjurstrøm during the 15
year anniversary for Minds
Read more about Open Mind here: http://www.telenor.no/openmind/
For more information please contact:
Ingrid Ihme, head of Telenor Open Mind, tel
+47 9503 9052,ingrid.ihme(at)telenor.com
Atle Lessum, Telenor head of information, tel
+47 4150 5645,atle.lessum(at)telenor.com
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originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Telenor via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1540078]
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Datum: 22.08.2011 - 12:04 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 57829
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