“Hello! My name is Ahmad. I’m unemployed and have no diploma.” Searching for a job did not go smoothly for Ahmad. When employers made selections for jobseekers, he was never found. That’s because he had no experience and no degree, two criteria that employers select frequently. Search through selection is a matter of “all or nothing”: as soon as a search criterion was not met,Ahmad was no longer included in the results.
Ahmad is a regular at the canteen of the local football club. Every Thursday after training, he hangs out there with his friends. Occasionally the bartender asks them to lend him a hand loading and unloading the drinks delivery. And the guys don’t mind at all.
The bottles are delivered in crates and boxes. Ahmad and his mates unload them and stack everything in the cellar. The empty crates usually end up getting thrown back into the truck or remain in the hall of the canteen.
Youth workers dropped by the football club regularly to chat with the young guests and help where possible. During one of these visits, a youth worker noticed something interesting: Ahmad was neatly stacking the left-over crates. As it turned out, he was also the one who had organized the stock in the cellar. With subsequent deliveries, Ahmad made sure his friends brought him the empty crates so that he could organize everything. He clearly enjoyed this type of work.
The youth worker recognized his valuable skills and asked Ahmad if he was interested in a job where precision, teamwork, and stacking and arranging goods were important. Ahmad accepted the offer and started training to work in a warehouse.
