– Fixit, you are talking to Svein! In a black uniform with the job’s logo on the back, Svein Arnesen answers the work phone. Life now stands in stark contrast to where it was just a few years ago. – 18 years had passed and I hadn’t done much that was sensible. Life really slipped and I struggled with drugs, he says. But despite a large gap in his CV and a troubled background, Svein is currently in a permanent job. How did he get it? FIXIT! IT’S SVEIN: Svein Arnesen in full swing and a steady job. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad Has helped 200 people The answer is Oslo municipality’s employment initiative “Useful Work” and the district service “Fixit”. Both are work training offers for drug addicts in Oslo. Through Nyttig Arbeid alone, close to 200 people have found work, school or treatment. The aim of Useful Work is to get drug addicts away from the patterns they are stuck in, says Dugald Hultberg. He started the project in 2012, and still leads it today. – It’s about creating a new life and a new future, and it’s hard to imagine if you don’t have a plan, for example a job. Work is a very nice thing to replace the intoxication with. USEFUL WORK: Dugald Hultberg believes that putting drug addicts into work saves society a lot of money. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad On Tuesday, Nyttig Arbeid organized the “Fill the days” fair in Oslo City Hall. The fair is for those who have, or have had, problems with substance abuse. 70 actors, private, not-for-profit and municipal, showed what kind of work and activity initiatives they have for this particular target group. Svein Arnesen and Fixit were present at the town hall in Oslo. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Not prioritized by the city council But despite the success stories of almost 200 people, it is not certain that the offer will be allowed to continue as before. On Wednesday, Oslo City Council will present the budget for the capital for next year, and work measures for drug addicts are not prioritized there. WILL CUT: – There will be cuts in the municipality, warns the councilor for social services, Julianne Ferskaug. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad – In the budget, we prioritize children and young people in particular. But you will also see measures that ensure that people have a dignified day, we will do our best to protect that, says the city councilor for social services, Julianne Ferskaug (V). The bourgeois city council has already announced major cuts in Oslo municipality starting next year. – Shooting himself in the foot Hultberg hopes the city council will not cut too much in Useful Work. – It is stupid to reduce measures that enable people to master their lives and have a future. It would surprise me if the city council reduces it significantly, but we have to live within the limits we are given. Arnesen agrees. – Now I have an identity. I’m more than just “a disabled person”, he says as he enters the back room of Fixit, where all the tools are. – I look forward to going to work on Mondays. WORKING WEEK: It was the district of Stovner that contacted Nyttig Arbeid to learn and collaborate with them. The result was Fixit, where Arnesen works today. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad Having been out of work for so long makes Arnesen extra happy for the opportunities he gets through Fixit. Meeting colleagues every day and having lunch together is an extra big bonus, he believes. The fact that the offer may be cut in next year’s budget makes him sad. – It’s stillborn, it’s as if they’re shooting themselves in the foot. UNCERTAIN FUTURE: The measure that got Arnesen out of work faces an uncertain future when the bourgeois city council presents the budget on Wednesday. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad Published 24.09.2024, at 20.27
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Svein was on disability benefits for 18 years – now looking forward to going to work – Greater Oslo
