Germany: Umicore staff help handicapped integrate into society
Umicore in
When the Umicore Automotive Catalysts business unit opened a new test centre in 2005 to support its business growth, the employees were given the challenge of developing creative ideas on how to make best use of the building as the industrial park didn't need the facility any longer. The idea was to utilise the old test centre in such a way that not only Umicore but also the general public would benefit from its use.
The initiative resulted in the "BWMK" (Main-Kinzig District Workshops for the Handicapped) centre in the industrial park. This centre offers a highly professional paper-to-digital record transfer service, with secure destruction of the original paper records after the transfer to digital is complete.
BWMK centres are dedicated to improving the living and working conditions of handicapped people, and to supporting their better integration into society. In the Hanau industrial park, handicapped employees work in a high-tech production facility under working conditions very similar to those found in the open marketplace.
The result is a workforce that is highly motivated, with a strong sense of self-worth and an equally strong sense of loyalty to its employers. BWMK staff feel that they belong to the organisation and their work is valued and important to the centre.
Claudia Hein values the on-site contact with BWMK. ‘Our BWMK colleagues deliver a quick and outstanding service for our optical archiving. It's really nice to see how disabled people have the chance to do a useful and valuable job. Everyone considers them as fully-fledged colleagues.’