'Working here simply gives me more peace.'

Chantal Nowee has been active at Werkse! When we speak to her, she is working in the Assembly department, where she is currently assembling components for solar panels.

"A great group and really enjoyable work," she says. "It's a bit fiddly, but I'm a fidgeter. I have a lot of creative hobbies, and crocheting mini stuffed animals is one of them." She points a few millimeters away with her fingers. "But I also make jewelry and paint. All those fiddly things. We also have a new client now. That's Secrid, who make card holders and wallets. We make security locks for them in the store. Fiddly work too!"
After Chantal at Werkse! Before she arrived, she initially worked on secondment at PostNL and DHL. "Being seconded is a bit nerve-wracking. The first interview, new colleagues, being afraid of not fitting in, that sort of thing."
Later, she was assigned to clean up archives for various companies. "I learned a lot from that, including digitizing and scanning."

Pet care
Chantal explains that she finished high school at Stanislas College and then studied Animal Care and earned her basic diploma. "But you can't really do much with that. You could work in a pet shop, but then you're just a sales assistant, and I didn't pursue that training. My biggest dream was to work in a zoo, but there aren't many openings. And animal shelters are essentially staffed by volunteers. If you want to further your animal care, you have to study Veterinary Medicine for six years, but because I suffered brain damage at birth, studying is difficult for me."
We ask Chantal if she has also worked in home care. "Yes, at the home care organization Florein," she answers. "I used to go to people's homes to help with housework. But I didn't quite fit in with the group, so Florein helped me get an indication for home care." Werkse! to get. That's how I got here.'

Assured
When asked what Werkse! What Chantal means, she replies enthusiastically, "I think you get really good support. I've had so many jobs. And then I always leave. Here you have security. No more stress and hassle of applying for benefits. And then you have to apply again, but at a certain point you don't know what to apply for anymore because you feel like you've already done everything. Or you need certain diplomas or a driver's license. Working here just gives you more peace of mind."

Help with private problems
Chantal was also photographed for the new advertising campaign of Werkse! In which employees share what being actively involved means to them. "I'm also incredibly proud to be able to work!" she says. "You get excellent guidance here, and you don't have to worry about being fired for the umpteenth time. And if something unpleasant happens in your personal life, you'll also get help with that if you want it."
She talks about the period of her divorce. 'I found it very difficult to deal with everything that was coming my way, everything you have to arrange. I had conversations with a social worker at that time. Werkse! And she guided me through everything. I was able to get household help and also financial assistance, such as guardianship. I didn't need the latter; thankfully, I could handle it all myself. But the help with all the red tape was very welcome. You basically have to start all over again.

The future
Chantal isn't worried about the future. "I really enjoy what I'm doing now. I work in a fun group where there's lots of laughter, and I never dread going to work. And maybe something else will come along in the future. I'm still young, and it's a long time before I retire. Perhaps I'll be seconded somewhere again where I can learn other things. I'd really like that, even though I don't know exactly what yet."