“Not everyone is lucky enough to go through working life without detours”
Galenica is aware of its social responsibility as an employer and has been involved with GEWA in the area of professional reintegration for some time. In an interview, Irene Strobel, Head of HR Business Partner & Consulting at Galenica, talks about the collaboration with GEWA and initial success stories.
How exactly does the collaboration between Galenica and GEWA work?
We were already in regular contact with GEWA a few years ago. However, the collaboration intensified further in 2023. The collaboration specifically involves the GEWA job coaches contacting us with potential profiles. We then look for suitable areas and tasks within our company.
Why does Galenica engage with GEWA?
Personally, I think it is very important for employers like Galenica to engage with such institutions. Not everyone is lucky enough to be healthy and go through working life without detours and organise their day-to-day work. It is important that we contribute to the reintegration of people who want to regain their footing and are looking for time and space to do so. I always think it could happen to any of us, including me. In that case, I would be very grateful for such opportunities. And in the best-case scenario, we at Galenica gain a motivated individual who contributes and develops with us.
Are there any concrete success stories?
Yes, there are. In 2023, a young woman was working directly with me. She was originally a lawyer and actively supported me over several months, especially with regard to employment law and the revision of regulations. It was really a joy to see her self-confidence return from week to week. In the end, she was ready to return to the job market in the profession she had learned. As we were unfortunately unable to offer her a suitable position at Galenica, she successfully reoriented herself outside Galenica.
I would also like to emphasise that the support provided by GEWA is extremely important and effective. The GEWA job coach and I worked very well together and were therefore able to ideally support the young woman on her journey.
About GEWA
GEWA is a social economy enterprise. Its core objective is to enable people with psychological challenges to find their place (again) in the working world. As a specialist in this field, it has developed offers for professional integration. These offerings are embedded as real economic services with their own businesses in various sectors.