The Oberland workshops offer employment to people with mental illnesses. In March, the company inaugurated its new building. Our newspaper was given a tour of the new premises.
Geretsried – Until now, there has been a gap in the supply of jobs for people with mental illnesses in the district. This changed in October 2022: The Oberland-Werkstätten (OLW) created employment opportunities for 54 people with addictions, depression, anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses in the "Oberland Impuls" on Lausitzer Straße. As reported, the inauguration of the building took place in March. OLW education supervisor Birgit Schreyer recently gave our newspaper a tour of the new premises.
New rooms for Oberland workshops: Employees are allowed to take a short rest three times a day
Daniela Thiel is sitting in the dining room with a cup of coffee. She takes her afternoon break. Three times a day, employees are allowed to take a short break from their work. In the morning there are buttered pretzels or another snack. At noon, a freshly cooked, warm meal is delivered to the Gaißach Oberland workshops, and in the afternoon you can drink tea or coffee again. On the terrace in front of the canteen, a chess field invites you to play chess together.
Andreas Lerch is responsible for serving food. He likes it better here than in assembly, says the 50-year-old Geretsrieder. He has been working in the group for people with mental disabilities since 2018. Before moving into the new "Impuls", it was housed in the Oberland workshops on Gustav-Adolf-Straße just around the corner. "The new house is very nice. We have a lot of space and a lot of peace and quiet," says Lerch.
Daniela Thiel is now back at work. In one of the bright assembly rooms, the 39-year-old woman from Kochel am See bends small flat plugs with the help of an apparatus. All you have to do is place the metal parts in a hollow and press a switch, then they will always come out bent in the same place. "The quality is thus automatically guaranteed," explains Schreyer. For some employees, such a simple task is a good way to get started.
Oberland-Werkstätten: One of the youngest employees is from Eurasburg
Sometimes Daniela Thiel manages 20 pieces a day, sometimes 200. Thiel is undergoing the two-year vocational training programme (BFB). It prepares students for employment on the general labour market or in workshops. Participants are supported in their personal and professional development. A "development meeting" takes place every six months, says Schreyer. The BFB is financed by the Employment Agency.
Other employees deal with more complex structures. Daniel Hartinger (54) from Icking, for example, assembles battery contact blocks in eleven steps in the next of the four workrooms for the Geltingen-based company Brumaba, which manufactures operating tables and chairs. To do this, Hartinger has to solder, among other things. Many of the 54 employees already have professional experience, says Schreyer. After all, a mental illness can develop at any age.
One of the youngest employees is 21-year-old Michael Killer from Eurasburg, who is highly concentrated in turning tiny screws into holes, the oldest employee is 65. In the future, IT jobs are also to be created. There are also company-integrated jobs where OLW employees sit directly in the companies, for example at Byk Gardner.
"Oberland Impuls": Patients find meaningful employment and therapeutic support
Every employee can, if he wants, change jobs every day. The activities range from packaging to painting toys and other handicrafts to industrial assembly. "I like the variety. Sometimes I prefer to be in a team where I can talk, sometimes I prefer to work on my own," says Thomas Bilert (41) from Geretsried.
In addition to Brumaba and Byk Gardner, customers of "Oberland Impuls" are the companies Bauer Kompressoren, Hawe Hydraulik, Spielzeug Kraul as well as the companies Fritz Kübler and Uniccomp. In addition to the work halls, there is a doctor's room, a relaxation room, a group room where people meet regularly for meetings, and offices. "Our employees are placed with us by the employment agency, we have contact with residential groups, or relatives know what we have to offer and approach us," says Schreyer, listing the possibilities of starting at the "Impulse". Currently, there are a lot of inquiries.
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At the inauguration ceremony, all politicians had emphasized how important the institution was, especially since mental illnesses were on the rise. The Corona pandemic has contributed to this. In the "impulse", patients find meaningful employment and therapeutic support. Their day is given structure, and after the BFB they receive an average of 350 euros per month in salary. Your chances of finding a job on the open labour market increase. For the construction of the 5.5 million euro building, there were grants from the Bavarian Inclusion Office, the Employment Agency and the district of Upper Bavaria, which is also the cost bearer.
For 50 years, the Oberland workshops have been providing jobs for people with disabilities in the districts of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, Miesbach and Weilheim-Schongau. The areas of application include woodworking and metalworking, assembly, laundry, kitchen, housekeeping and logistics. The OLW already has special facilities for people with mental illnesses in Polling and Miesbach. These also operate under the name "Oberland Impuls". BY TANJA LÜHR
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