Promoting value-led development of people and organisation across the region is close to the heart of company owner Hermann Butting. This is why the BUTTING Akademie took up the reins of the Integration Workshop in the Nordkreis Gifhorn district back in 2018. In 2021 the workshop became a certified organisation on account of its high quality standards and is now run as a training initiative with AZAV certification.
Awarded by ZertSozial GmbH, AZAV certification is based on ISO 9001 and guarantees high-quality training. This is essential for close collaboration between training providers and various institutions, such as the local Jobcenter and the Federal Employment Agency. Certification for the BUTTING Akademie was therefore an important step on the way to safeguarding the future of the business. "Approval is valid for five years and there's a yearly audit. The first one took place very recently," says Heide Hohmann, deputy project manager of the Integration Workshop. The audit monitors individual processes of the Integration Workshop, inspects technical equipment and scrutinises occupational safety. "We work in a highly qualified way. This was confirmed once again," Heide is pleased to announce.
The success of the integration scheme is down to the close co-operation and mutual exchange between all relevant social groups across the region. In addition to the Jobcenter in Gifhorn, there are close ties with the local authority (Integration Office), the charity store Henri in Wittingen, Gifhorn's adult education centre, the cultural association in Wittingen, as well as individual childcare centres and schools across the region. A key element includes working side by side with other social institutions, such as schools, youth development and social support.
"We promote and support our participants on an individual basis and prepare them – where possible – for social and workplace re-integration. In doing so, we actively live our values which are based on appreciation, tolerance, justice and self-determination," Heide explains.
The Integration Workshop is aimed at people with multiple employment barriers who are in receipt of state benefits and are able to work. The main focus of the scheme is craft activities, such as working with wood and colours, fabrics, garden maintenance and the bicycle workshop.
BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life