The state working group of workshops for disabled people in Bavaria (LAG WfbM) held the Bavarian workshop day in a company for the first time: at Fendt in Marktoberdorf. Focusing on the inclusion of disabled people in the workplace in sheltered workshops as well as in the first labour market, Michael Geschwender, Vice President and AGCO/Fendt Manager Finance and IT explains how AGCO/Fendt supports disabled people.
Fendt News
Bavarian workshop day in Marktoberdorf
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Panel discussion in the Fendt Forum
“Fendt currently engages approximately 118 severely disabled people at the plants in Marktoberdorf and Asbach-Bäumenheim in a wide range of fields. They include pre-assembly of serial parts in the tractor production, sending booklets and brochures or scanning documents in the field of finances. Hence, we place a considerable amount of orders to the Wertachtal-Werkstätten for disabled people.” says Michael Gschwender at the panel discussion in the Fendt Forum during the Bavarian workshop day. Through this commitment AGCO/Fendt belongs to those companies which take the topic “Disabled people” very seriously. At the moment 34.000 people with severe or multiple disabilities work at sheltered workshops for disabled people in Bavaria. The LAG WfbM is committed to strengthening the participation of disabled people in professional life. “I know that in the workshops for disabled people a lot has already been achieved such as concerning job creation.” explains Irmgard Badura, representative of the Bavarian government for the concerns of people with disabilities. She was particularly pleased that this year’s workshop day took place in the Fendt Forum of AGCO in Marktoberdorf, a world wide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment. “The close cooperation between workshops and the so-called “first or general labour market” is extremely important and essential for the forward-looking orientation of workshops for disabled people.” she assures.
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Hans Horn, chairman of LAG WfbM, pointed out that inclusion is not to be had for nothing. “Especially employees in workshops with special needs cannot simply be outsourced to factories. They need complex and individual support and all those involved know this. What is needed here is a frank and open discussion.” Jürgen Reichert, Swabian District President, appealed to the companies to not be afraid of employing people with disabilities. “For most of the people work is not just about earning money but gives them structure, sense and social contacts. This is especially important for people with disabilities who often suffer from social exclusion.” he explains.
At the Bavarian workshop day it became clear that collaborative effort of many different actors is a crucial condition for the inclusion of severely disabled people.
(from left) Michael Gschwender, Vice President and Managing Director Finance and IT, Irmgard Badura, representative for people with disabilities of the Bavarian government, Christine Krueger, moderator from the Bavarian Broadcast, Volker Holata, Manager of the Wertachtal-Werkstätten, Hans Horn, chairman of LAG WfbM, Werner Himmer, Mayor of Marktoberdorf and Nils Mütze, AGCO Human Ressource Manager.
