The International Labour Organization (ILO) has shared reflections from a recent study visit to Ingeus Lausanne, highlighting the value of holistic employment support for jobseekers facing multiple barriers to work, according to a press release published on 13 July 2026. The visit examined how labour offices, employment service providers, social protection institutions, health actors, employers, and community-based organizations can coordinate around the needs of jobseekers and inactive people. Ingeus partners with the Canton of Vaud’s Labour Office and its Disability Insurance Office to deliver such services. The reflections stress that unemployment often extends beyond skills or labour demand. Health concerns, disability, social isolation, care responsibilities, and disrupted work histories also shape outcomes.
Vaud’s labour market was presented as relatively strong, with unemployment around 4.7 per cent at the end of May 2026. However, concerns are growing around inactivity, sickness absence, disability-related claims, and mental health. “Over the previous 12 months alone, there has been around 20 per cent increase in newly reported disability and illness-related cases,” said Serge Cogliati, COO at Ingeus Switzerland. The ILO notes that strong aggregate indicators can coexist with hidden risks of exclusion. Preventive support services are therefore essential to avoid long-term detachment from the labour market.
A 2022 WorkMed and SWICA study of sickness daily allowance cases in Switzerland found that mental-health-related work incapacity lasted an average of 218 days, excluding cases of less than 15 days. The same study reported complete work incapacity from the outset in 95 per cent of cases. In Lausanne, Ingeus combines employment coaching with psychological, health, and practical employment support. Joint jobseeker assessments involve employment and health professionals. Group workshops focus on well-being, stress management, movement, and nutrition, alongside conventional job-search skills.
The Vaud Disability Insurance Office provides advice and accompaniment to employers when an employee’s health situation or repeated absence raises concern. Measures may include personalized guidance, workplace-health advice, early risk identification, and coordination between social insurance actors. Employers may also access counselling, trial placements, work-introduction incentives, and service leasing arrangements. Anton Eckersley, Director for International Relations at Ingeus, pointed to the value of employability measurement tools that assess several dimensions of readiness and progress. For non-linear pathways, indicators such as retention, job quality, and sustained participation matter as much as initial placement.
The visit also generated lessons relevant to displacement and fragile contexts, drawing on experience with Syrian refugees after 2015 and people displaced from Ukraine. Marc Hanke, CEO of Ingeus Germany, emphasized the importance of empowering coaches from affected communities to support their peers. Community-based coaches bring language skills, cultural knowledge, trust, and lived understanding of displacement experiences. Digital tools can assist newcomers, yet a human-centred approach remains critical for recognizing complex work histories and interrupted careers. Linking language learning to practical exposure to work and preparing both jobseekers and employers interculturally were identified as key elements of effective support.
