In the autumn of 1988, four social secretaries stepped down from their jobs to start a project for unemployed youth. The idea was to build a bakery, a restaurant, a cafe, a sports hall in three months and then use these places as a starting point.
There was a burning desire for the project to go so well that it would be relevant with support for a continuation. The Employment Service was willing to place fifteen unemployed young people on the project and the time schedule was, to put it mildly, pressed. Six months was the period of time to show a good result.
We had embarked on our greatest adventure of our lives and suddenly the young people stood there and said:
– I’m supposed to be here.
They didn’t know what all this was about and it wasn’t that strange, because what we were talking about wasn’t there.
Over time, Urkraft has received a wild bouquet of units. Often a need has existed and in the wake of that, a unit has emerged. For example, some form of media department was needed to handle information issues. The ever-increasing number of visitors in the form of study visits and courses created the need for a transport unit. A working reception was needed.
Real information based on where the participants really felt that they were needed has been one of the cornerstones of Urkraft. A needed person, who has context in their life is growing. As well as a human being without it, in many cases is increasingly losing value. The number and appearance of the projects change every year.
We worked with concrete work tools, where theory and practice were combined and created development opportunities for both the individual and the organization. An inspiring climate filled with visions, challenges and adventures is the soil that causes projects, ideas and new businesses to emerge.
Over the years, the needs of the labor market have been one of the most important components as we have shaped our education as well as our ability to adapt and find new ways of employing our participants. We have been on Campus since 2006 and we are still active in finding tools and methods to reduce the gap between the labor market and those who are far away. At Meeting Place Urkraft we want to find a meaningful everyday life and work for participation in society and the city. We also run the business TExAS Studie Center where we support students and students in completing their studies. Urkraft has changed its form over the years, but we have found our place in society as a work-integrated social enterprise that wants to make social benefits and utilize people’s power.
A FEW YEARS TO REMEMBER:
1988 – Start av byggande av sporthall, café, restaurang och bageri.
1988 – Construction of sports hall, café, restaurant and bakery started.
1992 – Urkraft becomes labor market education in a more formal sense.
1994 – We start the Skellefteå festival – Skellefteå’s biggest event.
1995 – We decide to work actively within the EU.
1995 – Relocated to new premises on Tjärhovsgatan – old hotel HOF.
2002 – The access program and OCN Sweden take shape.
2004 – Eleventh and last summer we organize the Skellefteå festival.
2006 – Move to the Campus area.
