55
Telenor Open Mind and Telenor Integration
have shared, central management.
Front, from left: Marianne Glomseth, Bernt Anders Schea
Bakke, Ingrid Ihme and Tommy Rovelstad. Back, from left: Mina
Khairalomoum, Ann Kristin Ekerhovd and Geir Håkensen.
Photo: Halvard Lundgård
I took part-time jobs in shops and call centres,
Jyhne says, and I had many strategies to avoid
social contact. By doing different shifts I managed
to avoid meeting the same colleagues every day.
I ate my lunch alone in a multi-storey car park.
I made sure that I took the tram to work at different
times and switched between alternative routes
from my stop to my workplace. I didn't dare to
apply for jobs which were appropriate for my
qualifications.
Jyhne found her way to Open Mind via the Norwegian
Labour and Welfare Service course "Det hele
mennesket" ["The whole person"].
A course leader encouraged me to read about
Open Mind on the internet and I realised straight
away that it might be something for me.
After a three-month introductory course Jyhne
started work as an analyst in the Mobile Division's
sales unit.
Everything I learn through the Open Mind
programme is worth its weight in gold for me!
she says.
I get both professional development and a
safe social environment here. It's so good
that Telenor offers this to people with mental
health problems as well. My colleagues are
aware of my anxiety problems and I have been
given a safe arena where I can develop coping
techniques rather than avoidance strategies.
I now look forward to going to work and I have
something left over to make more of life than
just dreading the next working day!
Open Mind is a Win-Win-Win concept: Telenor wins by getting good
employees, participants win by getting a unique opportunity to
show what they can do for employers and society wins by people
moving from receiving social security benefits to employment.
Ingrid Ihme
director of Telenor open mind
Increased access to the employment market has major socio-economic benefits
Great socio-economic benefits and benefits for state finances could be achieved if the proportion of young people
with disabilities who are in employment could be increased, according to the Norwegian Work Research Institute
(AFI) report samfunnsøkonomisk analyse av økt sysselsetting av personer med nedsatt funksjonsevne
["Socio-economic analysis of increased employment of people with reduced functional ability"]. In this report, which
was commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion and published in March
2012, the AFI calculates the socio-economic benefit over a 10-year period to be millions of Norwegian kroner.
Linn Therese Jyhne started in Open Mind in
September 2012. She has completed a four-year
course in marketing at Hawaii Pacific University and
a one-year course in psychology at the University of
Oslo. Jyhne has suffered from social anxiety for many
years and this has both delayed her education and
restricted her in working life.
"
"
Open Mind participant
Linn Therese Jyhne.
Photo: Ingrid Ihme