Mohammad 30 - LumenaConecto

Interview Mohammad 30 years

Internship in exchange for employment.

Mohammad kom från Jordanien för två och ett halvt år sen. Tack vare samordnat stöd via Lumena har han fått hjälp och gör numera praktik som han hoppas ska leda till anställning.

What was your life like before joining the project?

I came to Sweden from Jordan about 2.5 years ago. I have the disease MS. I was given medication and treatment and now I feel better.

So you received help from the health service in Sweden?

Yes, they have helped me a lot with this and it has been very good.

What was your financial situation before joining the project?

I have received money from the Public Employment Service. It's clear that the income is small, but it's so that I can get experience and a job.

It has helped a lot, it has been rewarding, I have been able to learn a lot and I have learnt and understood more Swedish and I hope it will lead to a job.

How did you get involved in the project?

It is via the Public Employment Service and establishment, you can go on various activities during the establishment period.

What support have you felt you have received?

The support I have received from the Public Employment Service has been good. I started with a little work training and have gradually increased the time.

What happened to your life when you received support, do you have any reflections on it?

It has helped a lot, it has been rewarding, I have been able to learn a lot and I have learnt and understood more Swedish and I hope it will lead to a job.

And what has also been good is that they teach you how to get support and look for work. I have been helped to look for adapted work because I have MS.

How have you been treated?

So the reception has been good, the information was good. I have received support from the employment service and an establishment that shows me the way. I've learnt how to conduct a job interview with the employer and how to write and present myself. We learnt a lot about how to deal with employers. And what has also been good is that they teach you how to get support and look for work. I have been helped to look for adapted work because I have MS. They have found work experience that is adapted to my abilities now that I'm doing work training. It is clear that it is good and a good support. And it means that you get into the labour market.

How much job training do you do today?

Between seven and eight hours a day. I prefer to work full time in order to learn more and more. I started SFI for a year and a half and now I have a foundation that allows me to understand several sentences and several words.

Have you been able to influence the support and interventions you want?

No, but you get suggestions and then you can accept or refuse. First I listened to what they have to offer, then I thought about it, and after that I accepted the support and services.

What are your hopes for the future?

My hope is that I will get a permanent job and get trained so I can work as a cook. I have worked as a cook in both Jordan and Egypt for many years many years. I want to get training because I don't have qualifications in this. We in the Arab countries do not have such qualifications.

What I hope is that the Swedish Public Employment Service will consider is that internships should lead to jobs, not just do internships. So when you are on an internship for three months, it should lead to a job, not just that you get to try and that it does not lead to anything.

Is there anything in the project we could improve?

Mostly I want to get a cookery course and a permanent job. I know that you can get it in the future, but you have to be better at the Swedish language.

Do you feel that you have learnt more about your rights than you did before you joined the project?

I don't know but you can ask questions. They are there and you get a lot of advice and support.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us, anything that the project could improve?

What I'm hoping for is that the Public Employment Service will consider that internships should lead to jobs, not just do internships.
So when you are on an internship for three months, it should lead to a job, not just that you get to try it out and it doesn't lead to anything. Three months of training is not a little, if you have been on a traineeship it should lead to a job so that it is not a waste of time and that you then have to look for something else.

It's the uncertainty of an internship that doesn't lead to a job, worrying all the time about whether you'll get a job or not.

It has a little to do with your future, do you find it uncertain?

It's the uncertainty of an internship that doesn't lead to a job, worrying all the time about whether you'll get a job or not.

Do you know when your traineeship will be extended or if you will be offered a permanent job?

I know that the Employment Service is doing its best to get me a job. The problem is not with the Employment Service, the problem is with the employer who breaks or makes you unable to continue. After six months they say they have no need.
I want to be independent, get paid and live independently, not sit and receive benefits.

One last question, have I forgotten to ask something you want to share?

I want to thank Sweden and the Swedes. I am happy that I came to this country and that there is a job centre and that I have recovered from the illness I have. Sweden has given me health, life and a future. I also want to thank you for all your efforts.

I am very happy and proud and I hope to be Swedish.

Sweden has given me health, life and a future. I also want to thank you for all your efforts. I am very happy and proud and I hope to be Swedish.