A Skills Exchange for Unemployed People

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study of a voluntary skills exchange for unemployed adults in Liverpool. It combines investigation at the organizational level with an interview survey of satisfactions gained by 60 members. Questions posed are how far a skills exchange might go in alleviating the adverse effects of unemployment and then how effective the particular organization was at achieving its potential. Results showed that members attached high importance to the satisfaction of social and psychological needs either within the exchange or in employment. The average satisfaction gained from membership fell short of this. For the small group who were active in the exchange, members were engaged in the equivalent of part-time work. But the broad ideals of the organization and the unfamiliarity of the decision-making setting made it difficult to recruit and retain new members and, hence, increase the organization's impact.