Ihab soon became Johan 's right hand man
Ihab Alsaab is a meticulous worker. Work is his Life. He has never been late for work. Ihab has worked for 14 years in Syria, working with aluminium and installing kitchens. Good experience to build on. An adult who is new in Sweden doesn’t make a new start from scratch, is what he believes.
– Experience plays an important part in how you manage. This applies to language too, says Ihab.
”You mustn’t think of the language as a hinder to starting on an educational programme”Ihab Alsaab
To begin with Ihab and his family lived in the north of Sweden. When they were given their residence permits they moved to Kristianstad, where they stayed with a friend.
Ihab and his wife started on their establishment programme, but straight afterwards his wife took maternity leave until their first daughter could start at nursery school.
Ihab concentrated on trying to find an educational programme to suit his experience.
– But there aren’t any jobs in Sweden for people with my experience. I wanted to find a job like what I used to do, so I chose joinery.
Two days a week he went to Sfi, and three days to an educational project in Osby, where he was able to get a qualification as a joiner.
”Our job is to install big doors in Buildings. And our work is in the open air”Ihab Alsaab, employed at Jada Montage, with jobs all over Skåne
– You mustn’t think of the language as a hinder to starting on an educational programme, Ihab says.
– My experience helped me to get to grips with difficulties in the language and finish my programme faster. I know what a person is trying to say with the help of body language.
He finished his programme in 2017, after seven months.
A problem arose when his wife Mariam was expecting her second child. If she took maternity leave again, she would lose time in her establishment programme, and also lose her establishment grant.
– There was no alternative. I had a chance to get a job, but I had to turn it down, I had to take paternity leave instead.
– My wife couldn’t take maternity leave again. We didn’t know that she risked losing her establishment. I was very upset, and felt that Arbetsförmedlingen (the Job Centre) blamed me for not having told them paternity leave in advance. But my wife and I were surprised by the rules.
Their second baby was a girl. Ihab took paternity leave until the younger daughter started at nursery school. At the beginning of 2018 he tried hard to find work with the help of Lernia.
He soon got an opportunity with Jada Montage, where he is making progress all the time.
– Our job is to install big doors in Buildings. And our work is in the open air, says Ihab.
He has a strong sense of responsibility, and has now a permanent job.
– My job is demanding, but I’m still learning the language on Saturdays at the church at Österäng.
You need the language, even although youn enjoy your work.
Ihab Alsaab
Age: 35.
Family: married to economist Mariam Aweiss, two daughters.
Lives: in Kristianstad.
Work: is a joiner. Started to work at Jada Montage i Kristianstad AB in March 2018. The firm installs and repairs doors and windows.
Leisure interests: ”Football, football and more football. I’m a Barcelona fan”.
Background: From Damascus in Syria. The couple came to Skellefteå in 2014 and got their residence permits in April 2015. They moved to Kristianstad in June of the same year. Ihab worked for four months in Linköping in 2016 and started on his establishment programme in April 2016. After three months on the waiting list he started at Sfi. He finished his training as a joiner in May 2017 and he has passed his C-level exams at Sfi.
Mariam has completed her Swedish as a second language course at level 3 and has a job at a nursery-school where she is employed by the hour. She is trying to find more work.
