After running several pilot projects, we have tested, refined, and validated every stage of the methodology — and now we can present the final steps of the model in its complete, open-source form.
Let’s start with Stage 7 — establishing structured cooperation with employers, including anchor employers. This stage connects candidates with real labour-market opportunities and defines how Supported Employment functions in practice.
Read background article on the Tool here → www.linkedin.com/pulse/introducing-our-new-open-source-tool
🔹 What employers need to join the project
For an employer who is ready to provide at least one vacancy, the key requirement is the willingness and ability to assign an on-the-job mentor — someone who will support the candidate at the workplace, help close skills gaps, stay in contact with the changemaker, and provide transparent feedback. The mentor does not always have to be a manager.
“The mentor plays a crucial role in successful workplace adaptation. In Supported Employment, the most effective support often comes not from managers but from colleagues on the floor — the natural supporters who know the daily routines and can help employees gain real skills on the job.” — Andreas Nyhlén, Supported Employment expert and CEO of Misa Kompetens, WiljaGruppen.
🔹 Why anchor employers matter?
Anchor employers — companies ready to offer 5–15 adapted or easily adjustable positions — create the conditions for fast and stable job placement that reduces the cost of a standard unit*. At the same time, matching always starts with the candidates’ interests and abilities and those who aren’t hired by the anchor employer continue in the CtoV process, ensuring zero exclusion and fully preserving Supported Employment principles.
*One standard unit equals one candidate recruited, employed, and supported for six months.
🔹 How employers are involved
The cooperation process consists of two main steps:
1️⃣ Introductory training
Provided once an employer decides to hire candidates. The training explains the candidates’ profiles and how to interact both with the candidates and with changemakers.
2️⃣ Appointing a contact person
Usually an HR specialist responsible for coordinating mentors, addressing questions, and communicating new vacancies to the project team.
With this stage after six months of support in the workplace, the active operational part of the model is complete: changemakers are fully connected with both candidates and employers, including anchor employers.
What follows is the final step — Stage 8, where we evaluate the project’s results and decide on its future in the region.
12 months after the project launch, the project team assesses both social impact and financial viability to determine whether the region should remain a priority for scaling.
This final evaluation closes the loop of the Changemaker-Based Supported Employment Model, allowing to scale only where the conditions are strong enough to maintain quality and impact.
Read the full document: Changemaker-Based Supported Employment Model Description.
Our eight-stage journey is now complete — but the real journey begins for those who will use this tool next. By making the model open-source, we hope to lower the barriers, accelerate learning across regions, and help others replicate what our pilots have shown to be possible: that with the right structure, people, and partnerships, Supported Employment can scale sustainably.
If you’d like to explore how the model could work in your context, Raoul is always ready to share insights and support first steps. Write to us at info@raoul.foundation
Let’s start with Stage 7 — establishing structured cooperation with employers, including anchor employers. This stage connects candidates with real labour-market opportunities and defines how Supported Employment functions in practice.
Read background article on the Tool here → www.linkedin.com/pulse/introducing-our-new-open-source-tool
🔹 What employers need to join the project
For an employer who is ready to provide at least one vacancy, the key requirement is the willingness and ability to assign an on-the-job mentor — someone who will support the candidate at the workplace, help close skills gaps, stay in contact with the changemaker, and provide transparent feedback. The mentor does not always have to be a manager.
“The mentor plays a crucial role in successful workplace adaptation. In Supported Employment, the most effective support often comes not from managers but from colleagues on the floor — the natural supporters who know the daily routines and can help employees gain real skills on the job.” — Andreas Nyhlén, Supported Employment expert and CEO of Misa Kompetens, WiljaGruppen.
🔹 Why anchor employers matter?
Anchor employers — companies ready to offer 5–15 adapted or easily adjustable positions — create the conditions for fast and stable job placement that reduces the cost of a standard unit*. At the same time, matching always starts with the candidates’ interests and abilities and those who aren’t hired by the anchor employer continue in the CtoV process, ensuring zero exclusion and fully preserving Supported Employment principles.
*One standard unit equals one candidate recruited, employed, and supported for six months.
🔹 How employers are involved
The cooperation process consists of two main steps:
1️⃣ Introductory training
Provided once an employer decides to hire candidates. The training explains the candidates’ profiles and how to interact both with the candidates and with changemakers.
2️⃣ Appointing a contact person
Usually an HR specialist responsible for coordinating mentors, addressing questions, and communicating new vacancies to the project team.
With this stage after six months of support in the workplace, the active operational part of the model is complete: changemakers are fully connected with both candidates and employers, including anchor employers.
What follows is the final step — Stage 8, where we evaluate the project’s results and decide on its future in the region.
12 months after the project launch, the project team assesses both social impact and financial viability to determine whether the region should remain a priority for scaling.
This final evaluation closes the loop of the Changemaker-Based Supported Employment Model, allowing to scale only where the conditions are strong enough to maintain quality and impact.
Read the full document: Changemaker-Based Supported Employment Model Description.
Our eight-stage journey is now complete — but the real journey begins for those who will use this tool next. By making the model open-source, we hope to lower the barriers, accelerate learning across regions, and help others replicate what our pilots have shown to be possible: that with the right structure, people, and partnerships, Supported Employment can scale sustainably.
If you’d like to explore how the model could work in your context, Raoul is always ready to share insights and support first steps. Write to us at info@raoul.foundation