Arbeitsassistent/Arbeitsassistentin

ARBEIT. Journal for Work Research, Work Design and Work Policy, LERNEN FÖRDERN, neue caritas. Politics - Practice - Research, neue praxis - Journal for Social Work, Social Pedagogy and Social Policy, Social Professions in Caritas, Sozialmagazin.

Work assistants usually work at the respective workplaces of their clients.

Core competencies generally required in this profession include: Work assistance, office and administrative tasks, inclusion, service for people with disabilities. Other competencies that may be significant for practicing this profession are: Providing information, disability psychology, documentation (social work), simple language, sign language, curative education care (Heilerziehungspflege), curative pedagogy (Heilpädagogik), disability pedagogy, inclusion pedagogy (Inklusionspädagogik), easy language, special education (Sonderpädagogik), social pedagogy (Sozialpädagogik), social care, supported communication (UK). Further relevant skills and knowledge: Competence group 'Person Groups'.

Work assistants use different work tools and objects depending on the industry in which the people with disabilities they support are employed. For example, in office activities, they sort incoming documents or answer phone calls; in the craft sector, they hand over hard-to-reach tools, among other things. Depending on the specific employment, they may be in offices, workshops, or warehouses. They adjust their working hours to current needs and may stay longer if necessary to help with spontaneously arising tasks. When taking on tasks that people with disabilities cannot perform themselves due to their limitations, work assistants follow the respective instructions precisely. Since they work very closely with people with disabilities, they must be team players. Good communication skills are essential for making arrangements or, for example, relaying information from a phone call.

Work assistants can become self-employed, for example, by establishing a specialized service for advising, supporting, and accompanying people with disabilities.

Since the nature of tasks and the time commitment in this professional activity vary greatly, no meaningful information can be provided regarding earning opportunities. Earnings vary; check BERUFENET.

Social services, other social care for people with disabilities, other social services n.e.c. (excluding youth work and social counseling services), healthcare, preventive and rehabilitation clinics, religious communities, church and other religious associations, political parties, associations, organizations, other interest groups and associations n.e.c., e.g., organizations for people with disabilities, self-help facilities, public administration, general public administration.

A specific educational path (Bildungsgang) is not prescribed. A vocational training (Ausbildung) in the social, pedagogical, or therapeutic field can be helpful.

Work assistants can find employment in: Non-profit organizations, vocational rehabilitation centers, integration specialist services, schools and educational institutions.

Job title: Work Assistant. Also common job titles/synonyms: Work Assistance, Workplace Assistance.

A Class B driving license may be necessary, for instance, to travel between different workplaces.

Work assistants support people with disabilities at work by compensating for disability-related disadvantages in the workplace.

BAG:WfbMbpa - Jobs & Ausbildung (vocational training)CareLoungeSpecialist Portal for Child and Youth WelfareINFO SOZIAL Job Marketsocialnetsozialeberufe.de

Professional Association for Health Services and Welfare Care (BGW)German Professional Association for Social Work e.V. - DBSHver.di - United Services Union

Manual work (e.g., handing over or putting away documents or tools). Screen work (e.g., pre-sorting incoming emails or digital filing). Office work (e.g., answering phone calls). Work in workshops, production halls (e.g., assisting with manual production steps). Work in warehouses (e.g., fetching or storing materials). Irregular working hours (e.g., assisting with spontaneously arising tasks). Interaction with people with disabilities (e.g., blind individuals and people with visual, hearing, speech, or mobility impairments). Group and teamwork (close coordination with the individuals with disabilities being supported). Frequently changing tasks and work situations (e.g., switching between desk activities and errands).

Documents, e.g.: support plans, information and training materials, specialized literature. Accessories, e.g.: communication aids, mobility aids, hearing or visual aids. Office equipment, e.g.: PC, internet access, telephone.

Work assistants help people with disabilities who regularly need support with specific tasks at work. They compensate for disability-related impairments of their clients when no technical aids are available. For example, they hand hard-to-reach items like tools to wheelchair users. Work assistants read handwritten texts aloud to blind individuals or perform simple office tasks. For the deaf, they interpret using sign language or answer phone calls. Their duties may also include arranging appointments for people with disabilities and accompanying them there.

Caregiver / Daily Life CompanionState-recognized Therapeutic Education AssistantSocial Assistant

Adaptation training helps to keep professional knowledge up-to-date and adapt it to new developments (e.g., in the areas of working with people with disabilities or social management).

Depending on prior professional qualifications, further career opportunities open up through an Ausbildung (vocational training) (e.g., as a therapeutic educator), an Aufstiegsweiterbildung (advanced training for career progression) (e.g., as a special education teacher), or a grundständiges Studium (undergraduate degree) (e.g., in rehabilitation or special education). Under certain conditions, it is also possible to pursue a Studium (university degree) without a general higher education entrance qualification. For more information: Access to higher education in the individual Bundesländer (federal states).

An Arbeitsassistent/Arbeitsassistentin identifies the individual abilities, needs, and goals of people with disabilities to ensure tailored support and promotion. They regularly and continuously support clients at the workplace to help them fulfill their tasks. They hand hard-to-reach objects, such as tools, to wheelchair users and read handwritten texts to the blind. They perform simple office tasks, such as sorting or filing documents, answering phone calls, and running errands. They interpret for the deaf, assist with scheduling appointments, and accompany people with disabilities to these appointments. They provide assistance to help clients navigate new environments or overcome barriers, and they also help with communication with colleagues and supervisors and contribute to solving emerging problems.

The following lists professions or activities that show similarities to the original profession. These professions represent a possible alternative for applicants. Furthermore, employers can consider individuals from these professions as alternatives for filling a position in the original profession. Some alternative professions only cover partial activities of the original profession, while others may require an induction period, which can vary in length in individual cases. The following immediate employment and staffing alternatives are available for the profession of Arbeitsassistent/in: For the overall activity (usually short induction), Betreuungskraft / Alltagsbegleiter/Alltagsbegleiterin (Caregiver / Daily Life Companion) and Staatlich anerkannter Heilerziehungspflegeassistent/Staatlich anerkannte Heilerziehungspflegeassistentin (State-recognized Therapeutic Education Assistant) can be considered. In related professions, Integrationsfachkraft/Inklusionsfachkraft (Integration Specialist/Inclusion Specialist) is an alternative. A list of all possible degrees of kinship can be found here: Explanations of the individual degrees of kinship.