Maks vzw encourages residents from Brussels - with a focus on Cureghem and Old Molenbeek - to go in search of their talents and competences. Maks consists of three departments: Maks Digital stimulates young and old to develop themselves digitally. Maks Werk helps jobseekers find work through individual counselling, group sessions and training, in partnership with services such as Actiris and the VDAB. Maks Graphic Bureau is a social economy graphic design project with mainly clients from the Brussels region. Maks develops innovative methodologies and tools, both in Dutch and French, with a focus on digital knowledge. Every year, Maks reaches 2500 users, mostly from disadvantaged groups, including about 500 jobseekers in trajectory guidance. Every year, about fifty people take their first steps with the computer. Maks also organises fun and educational ICT projects within school walls to stimulate children and youngsters to use ICT as a producer rather than just as a consumer. In this way, young people learn how to make videos about current themes and learn how to program. Maks recognizes the power of stories and knows that stories make people stronger and more resilient. That's why jobseekers and other target groups learn to make videos about their own story "digital storytelling" and learn to convert their CV into a video. Every year, Maks organises "workplace learning" for about twenty employees. During a work experience of 12 months to two years, low-skilled job-seekers or living wage-earners can learn a job as a multimedia animator, desktop publisher, receptionist, logistics assistant or PC technician and then move on to the regular labour market. Maks also provides tailor-made services to companies and organizations from the profit and non-profit sectors, such as ICT courses, the realization of video CVs, graphic work, promotional films, digital stories for and with the client.
