handbook of good practices for enhancing employability

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euroempleoalcala la real

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Handbook of Good Practices

for Enhancing Employability

in the Areas of Employment,

Education and Social Services

Alcalá la Real. Jaén2012

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Edited by: AYUNTAMIENTO DE ALCALÁ LA REAL. ÁREA DE DESARROLLO ECONÓMICO

Technical coordination: Service of Initiatives and Community Programmes(Andalusian Employment Service)Author: Antonio M. Sánchez HernándezCollaboration: Francisco Delgado Morales, Eva Ángeles Bermúdez López, Julio Medina Castillo, Mercedes María Arjona Serrano, Antonio Sevilla Pérez, Noelia Serrano Ruiz and María Soledad González García

Legal Deposit: J-1.097-2012

Printed by: Tres Impresores Sur, S.L.

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Preface

1. Introduction

2. Objectives and Methodology

3. Theoretical framework of Employability3.1. Importance of Employability3.2. Definition of Employability3.3. Employability factors3.4. Employability and Employment3.5. Employability and Education3.6. Employability and Social Equality

4. Project partners4.1. Skellefteå, Sweden4.2. Lohfelden, Germany4.3. Frameries, Belgium4.4. Sardinia, Italy

5. List of good practices identified within the project framework5.1. List of good practices by subject area5.2. List of good practices by recipients and beneficiaries5.3. Summary sheet of identified practices

6. Criteria for analysis and selection of good practices6.1. Good practices definition6.2. Selection criteria of good practices

Index

11

15

19202021252627

2930364349

57586062

777878

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7. Analysis results 7.1. Innovation Criterion7.2. Transferability Criterion7.3. Sustainability Criterion7.4. Results Criterion7.5. Participation Criterion7.6. Final Results

8. Description of selected good practicesCoordinarion Association SkellefteåDiversamente abile ugualmente produttivoInitiatives de développement de l’emploi dans le secteurdes services de proximité a finalité sociale (IDESS)Regie de quartierThe View. Labour Market SquareImprendiamoci- In viaggio verso l’impresa(Un viaje a través de la empresa)SommarlovsentreprenorProAction

9. Conclusions

10. References

83848586878889

919294

9799

102

104107109

113

117

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Euroempleo Alcala la Real is the name under which the Euroempleo project was developed, implemented by the city of Alcalá la Real in collaboration with the Andalusian Employment Service of the Government of Andalusia and the European Social Fund. The intention of this programme, through transnational cooperation in the field of employment, is the learning of experiences from other countries, the exchange of information and good practices with joint actions to provide knowledge to develop innovative measures that can then be transferred to the active employment policies in our region.

It is precisely at this time, when we are going through an unprecedented economic crisis, at which the dedication to innovation in employment policies and reflection on the scope and design thereof, must be a commitment that public institutions must take on from the political conviction that the way to respond to the public in the field of employment is to improve the tools for integration and employability of the most vulnerable groups with the greatest difficulties in accessing the labor market .

Preface

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In this respect, Euroempleo Alcalá la Real goes a step further, and in its definition of employability considers not only the field of employment but adds the social and educational fields, forming an indivisible set of key aspects that affect citizens’ chances of being employed both individually and collectively. With this object of study exchanges of experience have been carried out with other entities such as the Municipality of Skellefteå in Sweden, Lohfelden City Council in Germany, the Public Centre for Social Action of Frameries City Council in Belgium and the Regional Employment Agency of Sardinia in Italy.

The visible result of the work done in the last two years is the handbook of good practices for improving employability in the areas of employment, education and social services presented here. With new elements to be added to the analysis and discussion of employability, this handbook has been produced taking into account the socioeconomic realities of each country and each member, using a precise methodological approach appropriate to the object of study, selecting and analysing good practices with analysis criteria that have made it possible to extract the main innovative aspects of the latter, and make it a text of reference to ensure its successful potential transfer to the field of active employment policies in Andalusia.

Finally, it should be stressed that Euroempleo Alcala la Real serves as an example of the effort and commitment of the City of Alcalá la Real in the field of active employment policies. Aware of its responsibility as a public institution that it is now more necessary than ever to join forces and invest in such policies, it sets them up as one of the main lines of action in its political agenda. Granting this important role to these tools is the result of the political certainty that labour exclusion leads to social exclusion, and therefore all actions that improve and promote the development of active employment policies are not only appropriate at this difficult time but absolutely necessary to achieve a society that progresses towards more fair and equal social models.

Elena Víboras Jiménez

Mayor and PresidentAlcalá la Real City Council

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We appreciate the collaboration of:

Mr. Leif Löfroth, Ms. Ann-Cristin Westerlund, Ms. Kristina Sundin-Jonsson, Ms. Kicki Krane, Mr. Bert Öhlund, Mr. Stellan Berglund, Mr. Conny Karlsson, Mr. Håkan Lundberg, Mr. Susanne Edbladh, Mr. Kenneth Sundberg,Ms. Louise Lundberg, Mr. Ulf Marklund, Ms. Therese Lundgren, Ms. Sofia Lindstrom, Ms. Margareta Calborg, Mr. Lisa Söderström, Mr. Daniel Steinwall, Ms. Violetta Öhman, Mr. Per Bergman, Mr. Javier Suquía Arrate, Ms. Gunilla Tersmeden, Mr. Michael Reuter, Mr. Klaus Steffek, Mr. Ulrike Beutnagel, Mr. Bruno Kramer, Mr. Jörg Daniel, Mr. Wolfgang Schlingmann, Mr. Silke Sennhenn, Mr. Gregor Vick, Mr. Günter Macknrodt, Mr. Jörg Winter, Ms. Susana Peri Gómez, Mr. Miguel Montero Langue, Ms. Krestin Villalobos, Mr. Markus Siebert, Mr. Thierry Larcin, Ms. Brigitte Gallez, Ms. Nathalie Nisolle, Ms. Fabianne Donfut, Ms. Celine Dufrane, Ms. Sylvia Giliberto, Ms. Sophie Harvengt, Ms. Jenny Brohez, Ms. Caroline Sairy, Mr. Samawi Bouchaïb, Ms. Ana María Toscano, Mr. Alain Mayaux, Ms. Sonia Gobert, Mr. Fabrice De Bruyn, Ms. Pascal Decamps, Ms. Thérèse Vanlierde, Ms. Catherine Demeuse, Ms. Virginie Willequet, Ms. Florence Godry, Mr. Michel Charlot, Ms. Verónica Cabrera, Mr. José Luis Estebanez, Ms. Annick Duchateau, Mr. André Miche, Mr. Sigrid Dieu, Ms. Rose Marie Menu, Ms. Michaella Spanoghe, Mr. Nicolas Bourlakoff, Ms. Veronique Quenon, Ms. Magaly Pollaris, Mr. Jean-Marc Dupont, Ms. Christel Friant, Ms. Gabriella Fenu, Mr. Stefano Tunis, Ms. Emanuela Atzori, Mr. Luis Gerardo Rodríguez Val, Ms. Paola Laj, Ms.Natascia Murgia, Ms. Annalisa Iacuzzi, Ms. Manuela Atzori.

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Introduction1

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This handbook is intended as a tool for the dissemination of good practices identified in other territories of the European Union to improve employability in the areas of employment, education and social services through a comprehensive approach. This paper is one of the results of the Euroempleo Alcalá la Real Project in the framework of the Euroempleo Programme convened and funded by the Andalusian Employment Service and European Social Fund for transnational and interregional cooperation in the field of employment.

The changes that have occurred in the labour markets over the last few decades have been a major breakthrough for today’s society. This constant evolution means that the ability to deal with them is a necessary skill for anyone who wants to stay in the labour market; it is necessary to make adjustments in order to adapt. In this manual, these changes are based on three main pillars: promotion of active employment policies, development of educational systems and the work performed by the social services for people with special difficulties of employability.

Although there have been projects and initiatives in the field of employment, education and social services, it has proven necessary to transfer the results obtained through the concept of employability issues in a comprehensive way instead of isolation.

This document aims to identify and make a comparative study of initiatives which, after a rigorous analysis, can be considered optimal for transnational transfer.

The contents of the manual are presented in a didactic and systematized way, set out in the form of headings:

Firstly, it provides a theoretical framework of employability through the study of the diverse literature written on this subject in recent years, providing a definition of what the concept of employability means to us. It also highlights the factors that influence it and its relationship with employment, education and social equality.

Below is a description of some general aspects of the countries of the partners involved, such as political and administrative organization,

Introduction

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economy, labour market and social protection, offering an overview of the territories in order to establish a proper contextualization when analysing the data.

Subsequently, we present the eighteen potential good practices identified through the mixed methodology used, which included qualitative and quantitative elements, such as the study of primary sources of information and study visits to each of the territories of the partners involved in the project.

It also describes the criteria for the analysis and selection of good practices following the recommendations contained in the Methodological Guide of Good Practices of the Centre for the improvement of Public Services of the Junta de Andalucía (2007), adapted to the proposed objectives and the characteristics of this manual. Finally, the criteria that were established as necessary for the consideration of good practices were: Innovation, Transferability, Sustainability, Results and Participation.

In the next block you can see the partial results of the multi-criteria analysis which was applied to the practices identified through a weighted evaluation system, ultimately resulting in the good practices selected for this manual.

The last section contains, as a summary sheet, a description of the eight good practices selected, including information on the target persons, participating entities, a brief description, the implementation process, results and contact.

This manual is intended as guidance to be considered for decision making and design of future active policies to promote employment and as a basis for the development of future projects that seek to improve employability.

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Objectivesand

Methodology2

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ObjectivesThe overall objective of this manual is to create a tool for the

dissemination of the good practices identified in other territories of the European Union to improve employability in the areas of employment, education and social services through a comprehensive approach.

Also, this document is intended as guidance to be considered for decision making and design of future active policies to promote employment and as a basis for the development of future projects that seek to improve employability.

As for the specific objectives, these are the following:

• To approach the concept of employability from the employment, social and educational fields

• To establish appropriate selection criteria for considering good practices

• To identify, select and develop the projects, initiatives and programmes identified as best practices for transnational transfer.

MethodologyThe methodological approach proposed in this paper aims to

identify a number of initiatives to improve employability in the areas of employment, education and social services in order to select those considered best practices that can be transferred to the Autonomous Community of Andalusia based on a weighted multi-criteria analysis.

The detection and validation of the good practices that finally comprise this handbook took place in three distinct stages: the first focused on identifying initiatives or experiences that were potential good practices; the second, aimed at studying and analysing the

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initiatives considered good practices according to predefined criteria; and the third, the selection of the practices finally chosen.

1. Identification of potential best practices. This phase focused mainly on the use of a qualitative methodology, using two different processes:

a) Obtaining information from the review of readings and secondary information sources. The completion of this documented analysis provided a descriptive framework to be used in the study visits made later.

b) Obtaining information through in-depth interviews. The interviews conducted were of the semi-structured type, which are characterized by not being entirely open, but with a series of questions developed in a previous script, which the interviewer should necessarily use during the interviews. The interviews were conducted with experts, managers and technicians of the initiatives promoted in the different areas analysed during the study visits to the territories of the countries participating in the project: Skellefteå in Sweden, Lohfelden in Germany, Frameries in Belgium and Cagliari in Sardinia.

2. Analysis of the practices compiled. During this phase, we proceeded to use a qualitative methodology through treatment and consideration of the information obtained through fact sheets, in order to select the final good practices. This test was performed using a weighted multi-criterion analysis based on pre-established criteria, which in our case were: Innovation, Transferability, Sustainability, Results and Participation.

3. Selection of final practices. Having analysed and weighted the potential best practices, those which had obtained a minimum score of 65 out of 100 based on the established criteria were chosen.

Identification

• Secondary information• In-depth interviews

Analysis

• Fact sheets• Treatment and consideration

Selection Score

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Theoreticalframework ofEmployability

ImportanceDefinitionFactorsEmployability and EmploymentEmployability and EducationEmployability and Social Equality

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3.1. Importance of Employability

In recent years the concept of employability has become more important due to the existence of a new situation brought about by the globalization of the economy, the dynamism of markets and the continued introduction of new technologies in business processes resulting in increased organizational flexibility and the emergence of organizational structures in which functional mobility and employability are of primary importance (Montañana, 2005).

The difference today for the enhancement of employability is established by the acquisition and implementation of professional skills, consisting, among other things, of personal factors such as motivation, empathy, attention and listening skills, and moral and social values such as honesty, responsibility, tolerance, coexistence and collaboration (Martinez-Rodriguez, 2009).

3.2. Definition of Employability

This concept has been defined by various authors and organizations in the literature related to the labour market, highlighting the following:

• Employability encompasses the qualifications, knowledge and skills that enhance the ability of workers to get and keep a job, progress at work and cope with change, secure another job if they want it or lose the one they have, and enter more easily into the labour market at different periods of their life (Resolution on Human Resources Development. General Conference of the International Labour Organisation, 88th session. Geneva, June 2000. Paragraph 9).

• Employability means all the factors, knowledge, skills and professional and general attitudes that make up a person’s capacity, which when put into action produces the productive-economic performance and the behaviour expected by the employer (Carmona, 2002).

• Employability is understood to mean the set of skills and attitudes that give an individual the opportunity to enter a job and also to keep it (Campos Rios, 2003).

• Employability refers to the ability and willingness of workers to remain attractive to the labour market (supply factors), to react and anticipate changes in the tasks and work environment (demand

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factors), provided by the human resource development tools available for the purpose (institutions) (Grip et al., 2004).

• Employability is a broad concept that encompasses different facets of the individual, many of which are subjective and difficult to quantify or measure, but which manages to include what kind of attitudes and qualities are conducive to obtaining and retaining employment, above and beyond the skills the specific job requires (Formichella, London, 2005).

• Employability is the ability of a person to find a job, or improve it if they already have one, as quickly as possible and in the best possible conditions. Currently this concept is the key to survival in the labour market, so it is very important to monitor the level of employability that a person has both within the company in which he works or wants to work, and in the overall job market. (Hofstadt et al., 2006).

From our point of view, employability is the differential element that lets individuals enter, retain and improve their employment and, therefore, their personal development and social integration, and adapt to potential changes in the labour market. Actions to improve employability are a collective responsibility of States, productive organizations and people themselves, it being necessary to develop a pluralistic and comprehensive model that takes into account the variables that affect employability: competences, attitude to the search, maintenance and improvement of employment and the socio-economic environment.

3.3. Employability factors

Employability is based on three pillars, two of which can be modified by the individual:

1. Competences. These are defined as the integrated set of knowledge, skills, abilities, capacities, attitudes, personality traits and motivations underlying or innate to a person, that predispose him to successfully perform the requirements and demands of a job, occupation, mission or role in a given professional context (Arribas & Pereña, 2009), which can be developed by the individual through personal and social experience in real contexts, provided their personality traits or personal factors have been encouraged ( Martinez-Rodriguez, 2009). Also, Pinto (1996) states that skills make up mainly three types of learning: conceptual (knowing), procedural (knowing how) and attitude (being).

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Regarding the classification of skills, Vossio (2002) divides them into three categories, to which we would add a fourth, defined by Spencer & Spencer (1993). This classification is as follows:

a) Essential competences. Also known as abilities and maybe related to numeracy, communication skills or reading ability.

b) General competences. These are common to a set of sectors within the same occupation and can be transferred more easily from one profession to another. These competences include problem solving, accountability, organizational skills and teamwork.

c) Specific competences. These refer to the knowledge, competences and attitudes required to perform a specific professional activity, with very specific performance levels, so their transfer from one profession to another is very difficult. An example of this type of competences may be the management of a specific computer programme for a company or a model of a production process.

d) Differential competences. These are professional or technical competences that distinguish people from higher levels from others. These include achievement orientation, analytical and strategic thinking or leadership.

The author, Lázaro González García (1993), states that those competences which are essential for the full development of human personality are also essential for integration in society and working life. These skills include self-confidence, initiative, logical reasoning in decision making, communication and collaboration with others. The ILO (2008) also states that the effective development of competences requires the portability of the latter, i.e. that on the one hand, the acquisition of basic skills enables workers to apply their knowledge and experiences to new jobs and companies and, on the other hand, the creation of systems for the coding, standardization, assessment and certification of competences that enable social partners to easily recognize levels of competence in various sectors of employment of national, regional or international labour markets.

2. Attitude to the job search. The lack of positive work attitudes denotes a low level of employability of the individual. If the person has no intention to find work, however many skills he has he will not be employable or in quantitative terms, his employability will be zero (Harvey, 1999). Montilla (2005) establishes the relationship between motivated conduct and employability in the unemployed, i.e. those

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who have a high level of internal willingness towards the action will develop more conducts and find work before those with average or low levels of willingness. The Gaztelan Foundation (2007) states that the interest in joining the workforce, with attitudes such as willingness to change lifestyle, spending time to take actions that will bring them closer to the labour market influences the individual’s employability. More exhaustively, the psychosocial factors of employability that may influence this job seeking attitude are the following:

• Value of work. This is the value that the individual gives to work; in other words, if the person believes that work brings personal and economic independence, social status and the opportunity to develop personally, he will get involved in the search for work and subsequent maintenance thereof.

• Need for insertion. This refers to the real need to find work due mainly to economic reasons or social or personal responsibility.

• Attribution to the causes of unemployment. This refers to the explanation that the applicant gives about his lack of work and for which those who blame their unemployment on external rather than internal causes have less chance of finding work.

• Availability for employment. This is defined as the willingness of the person to be employed in other similar occupations or in lower categories or which involve geographic mobility and different working hours.

• Job search style. People who have an active search style are more likely to find employment.

• Occupational maturity. This refers to the willingness of people to follow an ongoing learning process to increase their professional skills.

• Job search skills. This is the mastery that a job seeker has of job search techniques.

• Social and family support. This is defined as the influence that the environment closest to the job seeker has on job hunting.

• Personal and professional self-image. This is the image people have of themselves and will act positively when the applicant has more self-confidence. It is closely related to self-esteem and motivation.

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3. The socioeconomic environment. This is a factor the individual has now power to influence but to which he can adapt as it changes. This shows the vital importance of people’s ability to reorient their professional profiles, through so-called ongoing learning, towards new job demands, and the ability to anticipate such demands. However, it should be noted that if the labour market is demanding to a lesser extent the speciality or expertise of a certain group of individuals, although their level of employability is high, their access to the labour market will be more difficult and this is because the real possibility of getting a job depends not only on job seeking skills and attitudes but also on the actual market demand for a specific set of skills. The factors that make up the socioeconomic environment include the following:

• Level of economic activity. The more dynamic the region’s economy, the greater the probability of being employed in any sector of activity.

• Unemployment rate. If this rate is low, there are fewer bidders for the same job (less competition), so the lower the unemployment rate, the greater the probability that someone will be employed.

• Employment regulations. Labour laws influence work flexibility, the ease of hiring for businesses and job creation.

• Demand for employment by companies. Ultimately, it is companies that offer jobs, so the greater the demand of companies to fill jobs, the more likely it is that someone will be hired.

• Population structure. The working population is comprised of people from 16 to 65 years of age. In very aged populations, the percentage of working population is lower and the human resources devoted to caring for the elderly are higher.

• Economic structure of the region. In some regions, the type of jobs with the highest demand are skilled jobs with a high level of qualifications; however, in other areas a higher percentage of unskilled labour is demanded. The percentage of jobs that are offered for each type depends on the companies located in the region that offer the goods and services produced there.

• Location and natural resources. The economic structure of the region has often been developed around the exploitation of those resources that make the region more competitive. The geographical

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location, proximity to other economic regions, climate and agriculture, mineral resources, energy, communications amongst other, have a decisive influence on the economic structure of the region and therefore the supply of jobs.

• Culture of the region. The values that society conveys to the individual regarding effort, professional ethics, dedication and the importance of learning are those which will make a particular region be more developed than another and thus affect the employability of individuals.

• Support from the institutions: active employment policies and employment programmes also influence the employability of a particular region.

3.4. Employability and Employment

In the current socioeconomic context, with an oversupply of labour, prioritizing employability in relation to employment is established in the sense that finding and keeping a job requires the ability for adaptation and ongoing learning in order to deal with any changes that may arise in the market (Weinberg, 2004). The same author explains in his article that investment in improving the employability of people can have a positive impact in reducing the type of unemployment that is due to the lack of personnel properly qualified for existing job opportunities.

However, this new context allows employers to demand workers with higher levels of employability competences, demanding higher professional profiles, the candidates themselves having to come with such skills already developed (Campos Rios, 2003).

On the other hand, it should be noted that employability is not synonymous with employment. However, the development of employability attributes and skills by individuals will help increase their chances of finding or keeping a job, but is not always a guarantee, according to Rodriguez (2009).

Finally, when it comes to employability and employment, one should also refer to the importance of the generation of work by individuals themselves through self-employment, which affects not only economic growth but is also part of an integrated social project, requiring the development of entrepreneurial skills (Martínez-Rodríguez, Carmona 2009).

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3.5. Employability and Education

According to Weinberg (2004), employability through education involves prioritizing the personal and cultural dimensions over which people can have more direct control, meaning that it cannot be considered only in relation to employment but that it is a key dimension of personal development and social integration. Also, this author believes that training for employability in the current context means:

• Strengthening the capacity of people to improve their chances of employability through the development of key skills that reduce the risk of obsolescence and enable men and women to remain active and productive throughout their lives, not necessarily in the same job or activity.

• Helping people to identify the internal and external obstacles that interfere with achieving their goals and assessing their skills and knowledge and the demands and skills required in the workplace.

• Training for ongoing, complex learning.

Moreover, the ILO (2004) states that employability from the point of view of education is achieved through the acquisition and development of skills and qualifications, States having to establish and implement, in collaboration with social agents, through social dialogue, education, training and ongoing learning policies to ensure synchrony between objectives of both an economic and social kind. In this respect, employability is understood to be a collective responsibility of States, in the sense that they are responsible for developing policies and actions to ensure an environment conducive to investment in education and training; productive organizations, because they must train workers and assist in the education and training systems and; finally, the individuals themselves who have to seize the opportunities they are offered to develop their skills.

Similarly, several studies advocate the adoption of new approaches to education and training to meet the demand for new skills by organizations (ILO, 2004), concluding that the latter must throw off the role of supplier of standard courses in a new internal consulting role, to enhance human capital development by introducing innovative strategies to adapt to new requirements through the development of certain personal skills such as flexibility, autonomy, empathy, teamwork or creativity (Martínez-Rodríguez, 2009). This same approach is adopted by Campos Rios (2003), who considers that the labour market sends out

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signals about the employability skills that are being requested in this market and that the school is a key element in terms of guidance in order to meet those needs. However, this author believes that there is a school which states that education cannot abandon certain training objectives in order solely to meet market needs.

3.6. Employability and Social Equality

The concept of employability must take into account the social dimension, to the extent that it is understood that the social inclusion component is an intrinsic part of human work and that individuals with lower income have greater difficulty in acquiring the skills that make an individual employable. In other words, the disadvantaged, in the sectors with lower income, will have fewer opportunities to acquire employability attributes, which means that this segment and its descendants will continue to belong to the most disadvantaged sectors of society, making it necessary to ensure that access to opportunities is distributed equitably.

In this respect, the ILO (2008) believes that an international, national and regional development strategy based on improved access to education and higher quality training can form a virtuous circle in which context the development of skills fosters innovation, increased productivity and business development, technological change, investment, economic diversification and competitiveness, which are necessary to maintain and accelerate the creation of more and better jobs in the context of the Decent Work Agenda, and increases social cohesion

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Projectpartners

Skellefteå, SwedenLohfelden, GermanyFrameries, BelgiumSardinia, Italy

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4.1. Skellefteå, SwedenTerritory and demography of Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden extends to the northernmost part of Europe and occupies the Eastern side of the peninsula from the Scandinavian Alps to the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, sharing land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast. It also shares a 4km long maritime boundary with Denmark, through the Straights of Öresund. Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union having a total area of 449,964 km², 9,103,788 inhabitants in July 2911, and its population density is of 20 inhabitants per km², 80% of this being concentrated in the south while the north is sparsely populated. The country’s major cities are its capital, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Uppsala and Linköping.

Image 1: Map of Europe. SwedenSource: Wikimedia

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Political and administrative organization in Sweden

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. The King, Carl XVI Gustaf, exercises only ceremonial functions as Head of State. Legislative power is vested in Parliament, which consists of 349 members, elected on a proportional representation basis, and is responsible for appointing the prime minister, who along with the cabinet forms the Executive. Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1995.

The administrative organization in Sweden is divided into twenty-one administrative provinces, each of which has a Board of Directors appointed by the Government and a Council, chosen through elections. At the same time, each province is divided into municipalities. This administrative structure has meant that the various powers are divided among several authorities. Thus, the Central Government is responsible for providing support to the various administrative bodies and developing the broad lines of educational and employment policies. In contrast, administrative provinces have another set of powers, such as access to health services. Finally, the municipalities are responsible for providing basic services such as education up to secondary level, as well as adult and special education, emergency services, environmental protection, assistance to the elderly and disabled, employment programmes and social services.

Image 2: Map of SwedenSource:

www.wordl-geographics.com

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Economy of Sweden

Sweden has a mixed economy that incorporates both free market and state regulated elements. It is aimed mainly at export and international trade and has a modern distribution system, adequate external and internal communications and a skilled workforce. According to the OECD (2007), “the key to growth in Swedish productivity is deregulation, globalization and support to the technological sector.”

The agricultural sector accounts for only 2% of GDP and 1.1% of employment. However, due to its high productivity it satisfies 80% of domestic demand. The forestry sector is very important for Sweden’s economy, accounting for 4% of GDP, 13% of the total added value of industry and 13% of total exports.

Meanwhile, Swedish industry, which currently represents 27% of GDP and 28.8% of employment, has changed from traditional low-processing industrial forms to industries with high added value. This process was particularly intense during the 90’s, when more R&D intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals and information technology, replaced the more traditional ones. The success of Swedish industry during the twentieth century has been remarkable and today it boasts some of the most sophisticated and diversified engineering firms in the world, in which two-thirds of the production of this subsector is intended for foreign markets. Mechanical and electrical engineering products, transport equipment and metal products account for approximately 50% of total Swedish exports and 70% of total R&D expenditure in production.

Finally, the service sector accounts for 71% of GDP and employs 70.7% of the working population. Trade is one of the most important sectors along with financial services. Tourism is another important sector, as Sweden is the main destination for visitors who come to the Nordic countries.

The annual growth rate of GDP, as shown in the table below, changed from a positive growth of 2.6% in 2007 to a negative one of -0.2% in 2008, dropping to -5% in 2009 following the global financial crisis. However, the economy has recovered markedly with an increase of 6.2% in 2010 due to the growth in both domestic demand and exports. In 2011, growth slowed to 3.9% following the debt crisis in several Euro countries and Greece’s problems in particular. The forecasts for 2012 are for weak growth of around 0.3%. GDP per capita in 2011 amounted to 41,000€ ranking fourth in the European Union

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Graph 1: GDP growth rate in Sweden (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

Graph 2: Unemployment rate in Sweden (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

Labour market of Sweden

The working population of Sweden at the end of 2011 stood at 4,930,000, with a participation rate of 74.1%, six points above the European average. Disaggregating these data by population segments, the male activity rate is 76.3% and the female 71.8%. According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in Sweden in the same year was 7.5%, two and a half points below the average for the rest of the European Union countries, the male unemployment rate being two tenths higher than the female. In contrast, the youth unemployment figure is 22.9%. The following table shows the evolution of the unemployment rate over the last eleven years, highlighting the significant increase from the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2008 and the fast recovery in 2010 and 2011 due to improved economy.

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Social protection in Sweden

The Swedish welfare state has traditionally been characterized by a high level of social protection based on the principles of universal coverage and solidarity, in a large public sector, labour market regulation on the basis of collective agreements, low rates of unemployment, and relatively high growth rates as shown in the previous graphs. The pillars of the welfare state are basically the social security system, social services and social assistance. The main components of social security are pensions, health insurance, maternity leave and unemployment insurance. The latter is voluntary and is administered by the unions through the so-called unemployment cashboxes although it receives state support.

Social services are covered by the Swedish Act, which states that these are intended to harness and develop the innate resources of individuals and groups taking into account the individual’s responsibility for his own social situation and that of others. These social services are administered by municipalities and are primarily responsible for providing individual and family attention and care for the elderly and disabled.

Social assistance is organized according to a strictly controlled requirements detection system. The percentage of people receiving this aid has increased since the crisis, especially among youth and long-term unemployed.

Municipality of Skellefteå

Skellefteå is a municipality in the northeast of Sweden, consisting of 20 localities and belonging to the region of VVästerbotten. It has about 72,000 inhabitants and the local government is in the town of the same name. The main economic sectors are energy, mining, primarily gold, zinc and copper, forestry and new technologies. It currently has an unemployment rate of 7.1%.

The mission of the Labour Market Unit of the Municipality of Skellefteå is the formulation of strategies and the development of processes that can be implemented throughout the municipality in relation to employment. The functions of this unit include working with users from both the department of social services and the employment office, implementing various programmes and projects, seeking an internship,

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work and studies for its users, monitoring training and collaborating closely with the government. Also, most of the employment projects and activities are managed by municipalities and coordinated by local employment offices, which has allowed each municipality to suit the peculiarities of its context and situation.

The complementarity this partner has in relation to the project, Euroempleo Alcalá la Real, and its objectives is based on the high degree of collaboration, interaction and communication between different departments and agents in the areas of education, employment and social services through programmes and projects that have made a significant improvement in labour market outcomes and employability.

Image 3: Map of VästerbottenSource: www.wikipedia.se

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4.2. Lohfelden, GermanyTerritory and population in Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany is a Central European country bordered on the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, on the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, on the south by Austria and Switzerland, and on the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany has a total area of 357,050 km², making it the fourth largest country in the European Union. Its population is 81,305,856 as of July 2011 and its density is the fifth highest in the European Union with 230 inhabitants per km², concentrated mainly in the west. The country’s main cities by population are its capital, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.

Image 4: Map of Europe. GermanySource: Wikimedia

Political and administrative organization in Germany

Germany is a federal, democratic, representative and parliamentary republic. Executive power is exercised by the head of the government

37


called the Chancellor and the Legislature is represented through the Federal Parliament, the supreme federal body which has 598 members and whose duties are primarily legislative, government control, representation and training of the public will and of the Federal Council, the representative body of the sixteen Federal States, consisting of 69 members whose primary function is to approve, reject or sanction federal laws affecting the powers of those states. Germany was a founding member in 1949 of the current European Union.

The administrative organization of Germany is divided into several levels as shown in the chart of the next page. The Federal Government has specific responsibility for foreign policy, defence, justice, labour standards, social issues, taxes and health. Below are the federal states, in this case sixteen, with their own state personality, where each has its own government and parliament and the same powers and jurisdiction, such as internal security, schools and higher education. The trend is towards greater decentralization towards these states. In turn,

Image 5: Map of GermanySource: www.countries-of-europe.com

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some of these states are divided into administrative regions which, at the same time, are subdivided into districts. However, some states are directly arranged in districts whose powers are the construction and maintenance of local roads, social welfare and youth, building hospitals and refuse collection, among others. The last level of the administrative structure of Germany is formed by the municipalities, which administer the programmes authorized by the federal or state government, particularly related to youth, schools, public health and welfare, but they are also designated in the German Constitution as territorial political entities responsible for regulating, within the framework of the laws, all the affairs of the local community.

Image 6: Administrative organitation of GermanySource: Wikimedia

Economy in Germany

The German economy is characterized by preserving the principle of social market economy, which aims to combine social equilibrium with the free market. It is currently the largest in Europe and fourth in the world after U.S., Japan and China. It is also the second largest exporter, with 9.5% of total world exports.

The German primary sector generates about 1% of GDP and 2% of employment. Domestic production meets approximately 80% of domestic consumption needs, the rest being met by imports.

Meanwhile, German industry accounts for 28.6% of GDP and represents 24.6% of the working population, being the main engine of the economy, although it is losing importance compared to the service sector in both occupancy and the generation of value. Key features include high productivity, the predominance of small

39


and medium enterprises and the strong orientation towards foreign markets. By industry the most important ones are the classic ones, such as automobile, chemicals, machinery and electronics and electrical engineering. In the first three is where the highest spending on R&D takes place and the trade balance shows a higher surplus because at least two thirds of sales come from exports. Some of the major growth sectors are biotechnology, renewable energy and environmental equipment.

Finally, the tertiary sector covers 70.6% of GDP and employs 73.8% of the working population, financial services, rents and business services being those which have grown most compared with other traditional services such as trade, hospitality and transport, whose relative importance in services as a whole has decreased.

The annual growth rate of GDP, as shown in the table below, changed from a positive growth of 3.3% in 2007 to a slowdown in 2008 and negative growth of -5.1% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis. However, the economy recovered markedly with a growth of 3.7% in 2010 due mainly to the recovery of private consumption thanks to the maintenance of employment, the contribution of public consumption despite budget adjustments and increased exports due in part to the depreciation of the Euro. In 2011, growth slowed to 3% following the debt crisis and the negative growth prospects in several countries in the Euro zone. Forecasts for 2012 are for weak growth of around 0.8%. GDP per capita in 2011 amounted to € 31,400, ranking eighth in the European Union.

Graph 3: GDP growth rate in Germany (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

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Labour market of Germany

Image 7: German unemployment rate by regions. Source: Spanish Employment and Social Security Office in Germany

Graph 4: Unemployment rate in Germany (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

The working population of Germany at the end of 2011 stood at 43,620,000, with a participation rate of 76.3%, eight points above the European average. Disaggregating these data by population segments, the male activity rate is 81.4% and the female 71.1%.

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According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in Germany in that year was 5.7%, almost four points below the average for other European Union countries, the female rate being three tenths higher than the male. Youth unemployment stands at 5.3%. The following table shows the evolution of the unemployment rate over the last eleven years, highlighting the reduction of 40% experienced from 2005 to 2008, with a slight upturn in 2009 to return to the path of job creation as of that year. The crisis and the recession have had a minor influence on job losses due to the internal adaptation of businesses and mechanisms for reducing working hours.

Social protection in Germany

The German social security system is based on five pillars: health, accident, unemployment, pension and dependency insurance. Each pillar is entrusted with a set of obligations, as do the insurance agencies that fulfil these tasks, which in this case are the sickness funds, professional cooperatives, the Federal Employment Agency, the managing bodies of pension insurance and care funds.

Social assistance is the last security support to avoid poverty, social isolation and excessive loads, providing benefits for those people and households that are unable to meet their needs themselves and do not have sufficient rights arising from priority insurance or forecast schemes.

Lohfelden City Council

Lohfelden is a German municipality belonging to the district of Kassel in the federal state of Hessen. It is located 6 km southeast of Kassel and has a population of 14,500. It has a large industrial base and a major transport and goods hub for the development of the whole region. It currently has an unemployment rate of 5.1%.

The Public Employment Services of the City Council are incorporated into the Kassel District Employment Centre, which covers 29 municipalities and is responsible for ensuring the subsistence of recipients of unemployment benefit type II or social allowance, establishing the activation and stabilization of the job search through its activities centre and performing occupational intermediation tasks. Furthermore, the municipality assumes responsibility for social services for housing and heating and special unique features, such as the initial equipment of the house. They are also responsible for providing the additional benefits of education and participation, such as the

42


education package, and similar social integration services such as counselling for debtors and persons with addictions and childcare.

Complementarity with the project focuses on the specific programmes that seek to improve integration in the employment of specific groups with difficulties in accessing the labour market, such as young people under the age of 25 and people over the age of 50.

Image 8: Kassel district mapSource: www.landkreiskassel.de

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4.3. Frameries, BelgiumTerritory and population of Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in north-eastern Europe, bounded on the north by the Netherlands and the North Sea, on the east by Germany and on the south by Luxembourg and France. Together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium forms the Benelux. It has a total area of 30,528 km², making it the fifth smallest country in the European Union with a population of 10,438,353 and a population density of 355 inhabitants per km², making it the third most dense country of the European Union, although there a difference of more than double between the Regions of Wallonia and Flanders. The major cities are the capital, Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi.

Image 9: Map of Europa. BelgiumSource: Wikimedia

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Political-administrative organization in Belgium

Belgium is a federal state under the system of constitutional monarchy, where King Albert II symbolizes the unity of the nation, his main function being that of moderator of political life. The federal legislative power lies in the Parliament, which consists of 150 members directly elected through a proportional electoral system and has legislative and budgetary powers and controls the Executive, which is formed by the Prime Minister and his administration and the Senate with 71 members, whose role is mainly confined to resolving any disputes that may arise between the entities of the Belgian system and intervening, along with the Parliament, in the most important decisions, such as amending the Constitution or ratifying international treaties.

The administrative organization of Belgium is divided into three levels: the Federal Government, the Linguistic Communities – Flemish, French and German – and the Regions – Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels capital. The Federal Government has the powers in foreign affairs, national defence, justice and internal security, social security system, transport and communication networks, social protection and a major part of public health. Regarding the three Communities, each has a Council and a Government and its powers include matters related to language, education, culture, preventive and curative medicine and

Image 10: Map of BelgiumSource: www.zonu.com

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family policy. The Flemish Community and Flemish Region have merged their institutions in order to have a Common Flemish Parliament and a Common Flemish Government. In contrast, the French and German-speaking communities have kept their separate institutions.

Meanwhile, each of the Regions has its own Parliament and Government and its main responsibilities are agriculture, environment, foreign trade, development aid, regional economic policy, taxation and employment and vocational training policies. Finally, at a lower administrative level there are the provinces and municipalities, which are the centres of power closest to the citizens and whose functions include planning, road maintenance, culture, sport, housing and social services

Economy of Belgium

Belgium is currently one of the world’s most open, modern and dynamic economies, mainly oriented towards services. The country has excellent transport infrastructures that allow it to integrate its industry and trade with neighbouring countries. The country has become one of the largest recipients of foreign direct investment in the world and a hub of international trade. It is also worth mentioning the presence in Brussels of numerous international and European Union organizations, which have attracted many consulting firms and international representation agencies. However, there is a significant difference between the development and economic and industrial fabric of the Flemish and Walloon Region.

The primary sector accounts for only 0.7% of GDP and 2% of employment. It takes place mainly in the Flanders region where there are the most productive crops such as horticulture, of which a third of the production is exported.

Meanwhile, Belgian industry represents approximately 21.6% of Belgium’s total GDP and accounts for 25% of the working population. Particularly prominent are the branches of chemistry, metallurgy, and transport materials which, characterized by their high degree of international projection, have taken advantage of the upturn in world trade achieving higher growth rates than those obtained in branches less dependent on the foreign sector.

Finally, the development of the tertiary sector has been of key importance in recent years reaching 77% of the country’s GDP and

46


73% of employment. Of particular note are real estate rental services, business services, retail, transport and financial services.

The rate of change of GDP, as shown in the following table, went from a positive growth of 2.9% in 2007 to a period of slowdown in 2008 to enter recession with a negative growth rate of -2.9% in 2009, mainly due to the global financial crisis in which three of the major Belgian banks had to receive injections of state capital and one of them had to be nationalized. The country’s economic recovery came about in 2010 with a growth of 2.2%, although this trend has been altered by the deterioration of international conditions, the Euro zone crisis and the declining confidence of entrepreneurs and consumers causing growth to fall to 1.9% in 2011 and with forecasts of 0.1% for 2012. GDP per capita in 2011 amounted to 33,600€, ranking seventh in the European Union.

Labour market of Belgium

The working population of Belgium at the end of 2011 stood at 5,177,000 people, with a participation rate of 67.3%, one point below the European average. Disaggregating these data by population segments, the male participation rate is 73% and the female 61.2%, representing a difference of twelve points. According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in Belgium in the same year was 7.2%, three points below the average of European Union countries, the female rate being two tenths higher than the male. In contrast, the youth unemployment figure rises to 18%. The following table shows the changes in the unemployment rate over the last eleven years, showing a rise from 2008, following the financial crisis, and reaching its peak in 2010 with a rate of 8.5%, at which time unemployment decreased again.

Graph 5: GDP growth rate in Belgium (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

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Social protection

The Belgian system of social protection is very broad, based on solidarity and divided into two main components: social security and welfare. The main areas of the first of these are pensions, health insurance, maternity and disability benefits, family allowances, insurance, occupational accident and occupational disease insurance and unemployment insurance. The National Social Security Office is responsible for collecting contributions and distributing the funds among the various institutions involved in these different areas: National Bureau of Pensions, National Health and Disability Insurance Institute, National Bureau of Family Allowances for Salaried Employees, Occupational Accident and Disease Fund and the National Employment Office.

Regarding welfare, this takes place mainly through assistance from the Public Centres for Social Action (CPAS), guaranteed income for senior citizens, subsidies for the disabled, social assistance and integration income. The aim of this assistance is to provide minimum means of subsistence to the population to meet their basic needs.

Public Centre for Social Action of Frameries

Frameries is a Belgian municipality belonging to the district of Mons-Borinage in the province of Hainaut in the Walloon Region and currently has a population of 21,000. Coal mining and its ancillary industry was very important in its economic development, although in recent years there has been a strong process of conversion to other sectors. It currently has an unemployment rate of 19%.

Graph 6: Unemployment rate in Belgium (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

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The Public Centre for Social Action is a municipal entity with its own legal personality which depends on local councils and its operation is regulated by law, which states that everyone has the right to social assistance, regardless of their social or personal situation, and that it is this type of centre that is obliged to offer it. The law also restricts the autonomy of the CPAS but allows the use of different policies depending on the needs of each area. Their relations with the municipality are primarily related to financial and management aspects of the area of social affairs.

Complementarity with the project is based on the socio-professional integration functions that the centre has, through its own policies and programmes, depending on local needs and the individualized study of each case to offer solutions tailored to each person, and collaboration with agencies for training and employment.

Image 11: Mons-Borinage District mapSource: CSEF Mons

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4.4. Sardinia, ItalyTerritory and population of Italy

The Republic of Italy is a country located in Southern Europe, bordered on the north by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia across the Alps. Its territory consists of the Italian peninsula and two large islands: Sicily and Sardinia. The independent states of San Marino and Vatican City are enclaves within Italian territory. It has a total area of 301,340 km², making it the sixth largest country in the European Union, and a population of 61,261,254 in July 2011, giving it a population density of 203 people per km², the sixth highest in the European Union. The major cities are the capital, Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin.

Image 12: Map of Europe. ItalySource: Wikimedia

Political and administrative organization in Italy

Italy is a parliamentary republic with representative democracy. The President of the Republic is the Head of State, elected by Parliament and holding office for seven years. The Executive is in charge of the

50


Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister, the legislative power is exercised by Parliament through its two houses with equal powers, the Congress, consisting of 630 members elected by universal suffrage, and the Senate, consisting of 315 members allocated on a regional basis. Italy was a founding member in 1949 of the current European Union.

The administrative organization of Italy is divided into several levels: the State, whose responsibilities are primarily security, immigration, foreign policy and the development of general employment and educational policies. The next level consists of the twenty administrative regions, of which five have autonomy and special status based on their ethnic and historical peculiarities and borders. These regions are public territorial entities with legislative autonomy their responsibilities include the management of dependent entities, local police, welfare, health, regional transport, tourism, environment and urban territory. Regions with special autonomy have the same powers as the ordinary ones but with greater scope, in addition to having primary and secondary legislative powers and the power of action. The bodies that make up the region are the Regional Council, the Regional Board and the President.

Image 13: Map of ItalySource: www.map-of-italy.org

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The next level in the administrative division of Italy are the provinces and their powers include: land conservation, care and improvement of environment, protection and improvement of water and energy resources, promotion of cultural heritage, collection, technical and administrative assistance to local authorities, civil protection, building schools and provision of employment services. The last level of the Italian administrative structure are the municipalities, whose powers are limited to the civil tasks closest to the citizen.

Economy of Italy

Italy’s economic structure is typical of a developed economy in a state of maturity, with a predominant tertiary sector, a major industrial fabric and a primary sector in continuous decline. The Italian economy is currently the fourth in Europe and eighth in the world.

The Italian primary sector accounts for 2% of GDP and employs 4% of the working population, half of this employment being concentrated in the southern regions. Agricultural production does not supply the total food demand of the population, especially in the livestock industry, which relies on imports. In recent years special importance has been given to the protection of typical products and organic farming.

Meanwhile, the Italian secondary sector generates approximately 28.3% of GDP and accounts for 24.7% of the working population, demonstrating the importance of this sector in the overall economy, having become the engine of development and ranking as the second largest in Europe after Germany. A distinguishing feature is the production of high quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized family businesses. Italy also has a diversified industrial economy, the industries with highest added value, such as mechanics and electronics, being concentrated in the north and industries with fewer technological components, such as textiles, in the south. However, in recent years there has been some redistribution of industry from north to south.

Finally, the tertiary sector accounts for 73.4% of GDP and 67.8% of employment, the main activities being: financial services, transport, trade, business services and tourism.

The rate of change of GDP, as shown in the following table, moved from a positive growth of 2.2% in 2006 to a period of slowdown that began in 2007, to enter recession with a negative growth rate of -1.2% in 2008, which deepened in 2009, reaching -5.5%, mainly due to the

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global financial crisis. The country’s economic recovery came about in 2010, reaching a growth of 1.8%, although this trend has been altered by the sovereign debt crisis in the Euro zone, deteriorating consumer confidence and weak external demand, slowing down growth in 2011 and with prospects of a new recession in 2012. Per capita GDP in 2011 amounted to 26,000€, ranking twelfth in the European Union.

Labour market in Italy

The working population of Italy at the end of 2011 stood at 25,080,000, with a participation rate of 61.2%, seven points below the European average. Disaggregating these data by population segments, the male activity rate is 72.6% and the female 49.9%, representing a difference of twenty-three points. According to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in Italy in the same year was 9.2%, in line with the average for European Union countries, female unemployment being one and a half points higher than male unemployment. In contrast, the youth

Graph 7: GDP growth rate in Italy (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

Graph 8: Unemployment rate in Italy (2000-2011)Source: Eurostat and own compilation (2012)

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unemployment figure is 28%. The following table shows the evolution of the unemployment rate over the last eleven years, where it can be seen to rise from 2007, following the financial crisis, reaching its peak in 2010 with a rate of 8.7% and, although it then decreased slightly, the new economic situation has caused a further increase.

Social protection in Italy

Italian law provides coverage for the following branches of Social Security: retirement, disability, survivors of war, disease, unemployment, early retirement, family, maternity and equivalent paternity benefits, and occupational accidents and diseases.

The Social Security agencies, such as the National Social Security Institute, the National Health Service and the National Institute of Insurance against Occupational Accidents, are responsible for both collecting contributions and for paying benefits, acting under the guidance and supervision of the relevant ministerial authorities: the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Health.

Social assistance is the responsibility of local authorities and the law does not provide general conditions for entitlement to benefits, so each region and each municipality applies its own policy of intervention in its territory, in accordance with regional legislation and depending on the budgetary resources available.

Regional Employment Agency of Sardinia

Sardinia is an island located in the centre of the western Mediterranean Sea, between Corsica, the Italian peninsula to the east, Tunisia to the south and the Balearic Islands to the west. As an administrative entity it is called the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and has a special status in the Italian Republic and a population of about 1,600,000. The island is divided into eight provinces, the capital city, Cagliari, being located in the south, with a population of just over 150,000.

The economy of Sardinia is concentrated mainly in the tertiary sector with trading companies, services, information technology and, primarily, tourism, which is the island’s main source of income. Also important is the primary sector and industry, with chemical,

54


petrochemical, cement, shipbuilding and food companies. It currently has an unemployment rate of 16% although because of tourism there is high seasonality.

This entity is an agency of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, whose main functions are establishing the lines of the regional employment service and its internal workings, monitoring and coordination of employment policies between the region and the provinces, conducting employment projects at national and international level, supplying specific services for job placement and working as regional labour market observatory.

Image 14: Map of SardiniaSource: Wikimedia

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Complementarity with the project is based on the comparison with the Andalusian Employment Service, the approach they have about the importance of training and acquiring experience in the labour market and the promotion of entrepreneurial culture. Also important is the collaboration with other labour market agents such as organizations representing unions and employers, university, municipality or chamber of commerce.

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57


List of goodpracticesidentified

within the project framework

FieldGroupSummary sheet

5

58


Best practices list

The analysis of the information gathered during the information gathering phase has resulted in a total of 16 potential good practices among all the partners. The following sections show a double classification of the set of practices, depending on their subject and the type of recipient, in order to achieve a more schematic view.

5.1. List of good practices by subject area

In the following table active policies to encourage employment as part of the projects or initiatives studies are displayed broken down by subject matter to consider their worth as possible good practices and on which our studies have been focused in alignment with the application of the evaluation criteria mentioned beforehand.

The subject areas chosen for this programme were the following: Guidance, Training, Placement, Integration and Promotion of entrepreneurship. Some of the projects identified may include at the same time several of the above mentioned subject areas.

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COUNTRY / PROJECT

SWEDEN

Aktivitesprogrammet

Coordination Association Skellefteå

Introduktion I Samverkam

Sociala Entreprenörshuset

Sommarlovsentreprenor

The View. Labour Market Square

Ungdomstrainee

GERMANY

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus

Qualifizierung Und Beschäftigund

BELGIUM

IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services

ITALY

Diversamente AbileUgualmente Produttivo

Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Gui

danc

eTr

aini

g

Plac

emen

tIn

tegr

atio

nPr

omot

ion

of

entre

pren

eurs

hip

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

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5.2. List of good practices by recipients and beneficiaries

The compilation of initiatives or projects which have provided guidance in so far as has been possible for groups in the worst professional situations and offering low level of employability; young people under 30, people over 45, migrants, long-term unemployed and the disabled.

Nonetheless, also included have been initiatives which are geared towards the unemployed in general as these fulfil the requirements established for the consideration of a possible good practice. Likewise, some of the projects may be geared towards diverse collectives at the same time. The following table displays the final ranking.

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Youn

g pe

ople

Peop

le o

ver 4

5In

mig

rant

sLo

ng te

rm.

unem

ploy

edDi

sabl

edUn

empl

oyed

in g

ener

al

COUNTRY / PROJECT

SWEDEN

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

GERMANY

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


BELGIUM

IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services

ITALY

Diversamente Abile Ugualmente Produttivo

Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

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5.3. Summary sheet of identified practices

In the following pages we can see the summary sheets corresponding to each one of the compiled initiatives. The information collected is variable with regards to extension and detail.

AKTIVITESPROGRAMMET

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE FIELD: TRAINING AND PLACEMENTDESCRIPTION:

Programme aimed at young people from 18 to 30 years of age from the Social Services of the Municipality of Skellefteå seeking an approach to the world of work and increased chances of employment of this group through paid placement with a duration of one and six months in both public and private enterprises. It began in 2004 and is now a permanent programme. There is a high degree of connection between its promoters, the Labour Market Unit and the Social Services of the municipality, which hold meetings regularly to improve communication and coordination between them, while being financed with funds from both departments.

The programme content focuses on a combination of training, education, counselling and personal development, some supporting activities being performed individually and others in groups. The annual number of beneficiaries is 90 and the percentage of job placement or return to studies is 65% and the cost for 2011 was SEK 2,090,000 (235,000 €).

COORDINATION ASSOCIATION SKELLEFTEÅ.

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: IMMIGRANTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE OVER 45 YEARS OF AGE, LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED AND DISABLED PEOPLEFIELD: INTEGRATIONDESCRIPTION:

Organization whose primary purpose is to promote re-employment and social integration through financial and political coordination. This permanent organization was founded in 2005 and establishes coordination mechanisms between the various agents of the welfare state in Sweden: on the one hand, the Central Government on which the Social Security office and the employment office depend; on the

63


other hand, the regional government in charge of the Health Service, and finally, the municipality that includes policies of community support, care for people with addictions and assistance to people with disabilities. The number of beneficiaries of this organization ranges from 500 to 1000 per year and they are people who are at risk of falling between the “gaps of the authorities” and require the action of various groups, individuals with complex rehabilitation needs due to long unemployment or illness and young people who are neither studying nor working.

The objectives of this organization are as follows: to take full responsibility and provide the necessary support for integration, establish a single action by all authorities with individual attention to needs for integration and, finally, create opportunities for more efficient use of resources based on local needs and conditions.

The number of participants between 2009 and 2010 has been about 1,000 people, of which 45% have found a job or returned to school and the annual cost is SEK 5,800,000 (€ 645,000).

INTRODUKTION I SAMVERKAM (ISA)

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: REFUGEESFIELD: INTEGRATIONDESCRIPTION:

Permanent programme of the Municipality of Skellefteå since 2007 which aims to establish coordinated actions for the integration and autonomy of immigrants from countries outside the European Union, through collaboration between the Municipal Executive Office, the Employment Office, Social Services, the Guidance and Validation Guidance Centre, the Adult School and the Immigration Office.

The employment office makes the first contact with these beneficiaries, establishing an individual action plan. Then, the municipality supports them proactively, providing services from different areas such as Swedish classes for immigrants, placements in public enterprises or institutions and social assistance. The residence time in the programme can last up to four years, although in some cases the adjustment period may be even longer, so the results are difficult to quantify. The number of beneficiaries is 60 per year and the cost is SEK 2,680,000 (€ 298,000)

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SOCIALA ENTREPRENÖRSHUSET

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: IMMIGRANTS AND LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED FIELD: TRAINING AND PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIPDESCRIPTION:

Project aimed at people who for various reasons have difficulty in finding work, especially immigrants and long-term unemployed. The concept of social economy in this project is proposed as the mix of entrepreneurship with individual employment needs and the demand for goods or services by society. It combines specific training, counselling on social economy and practical learning in order to facilitate employability through participation, creation and maintenance of social economy enterprises.

The project began in October 2010 and is expected to close in December 2012, giving it a total duration of 27 months. The promoter partner of the project is the Municipality of Skellefteå and the collaborating partners are the employment office, the University of Sunderby, the building unions of Skellefteå, the Association of Coordination and the municipal public enterprise, Solkraft. The number of beneficiaries is 140 and the target is 60% job placement three months after completing participation in the project. The training time for each beneficiary is variable depending on individual needs but the goal is to have 24 participants per month. It has a budget of SEK 12,254,211 (€ 1,361,580) of which 25% is funded by the European Social Fund.

SOMMARLOVSENTREPRENOR

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLEFIELD: TRAINING AND PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIPDESCRIPTION:

Project to establish businesses in the Municipality of Skellefteå aimed at young unemployed and high school students, offering them the opportunity to create their own business based on the ideas and needs of the beneficiaries themselves during the summer months, for a period of up to nine weeks. The methodologies, tools and models have been developed by the agency, Open for Business, in the region of Västernorrland and the concept has spread to other locations in Sweden and internationally.

The entrepreneurs receive personalized advice from business advisors who identify the existing skills and resources, providing practical

65


tools, business models and personal knowledge for the implementation of the business. They also provide access to contacts with companies that act as mentor during the project. The municipality provides a small financial aid and the necessary permits.

The number of participants was 23 in 2011 in areas such as bakery, gardening, web design, child care, dance school or music production and the cost is SEK 5,460,000 (€ 605,000).

THE VIEW. LABOUR MARKET SQUARE

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE FIELD: GUIDANCE, TRAINING AND PLACEMENTDESCRIPTION:

Project aimed at young people between 16 and 29 yrs old, but particularly focused on people under 24 who have the common denominator of the need for long-term support and require the cooperation of various authorities to access the labour market. The obstacles they face may be physical, psychological, social or related to employment. The primary objectives are to create a common space that makes for greater efficiency in time and resources, the development of tools and common elements of assessment and the implementation of action plans which focus on these young people. In addition, it is planned to implement a standard model for contact with companies.

The project began in September 2010 and is expected to close in August 2013. It is managed by the Municipality of Skellefteå and funded by the Association of Coordination with a budget of SEK 8,600,000 (950,000 €). The associates are the employment office, the social security department, the social services, the labour market unit and the high school office.

The number of referrals to this project in June 2012 by the different agencies has been 152, of which 71 have ended up participating, achieving 60% job placement or return to studies. The average stay of each user in this programme is eight and a half months..

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UNGDOMSTRAINEE

COUNTRY: SWEDENTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE FIELD: TRAINING AND PLACEMENTDESCRIPTION:

Paid internship programme for young people from 18 to 26 years of age with no experience and few studies. The aim is to improve the employability of unemployed youth, contribute to increased interest in working in the municipality in the future, meet the demand for staff in occupations difficult to fill and replace the payment of unemployment benefits or subsidies with the achievement of a job or return to training.

It lasts six months and combines work and studies in a ratio of 75% and 25% respectively. Placement takes place in the departments or companies of the municipality and the training focuses on short courses that complement practical learning. Strong emphasis has been placed on accrediting the knowledge of young people in the workplace to establish curriculums and preparation for final validation. This programme is promoted by the Labour Market Unit of the Municipality of Skellefteå and started with 85 placements in 2009, 65 in 2010 and 50 in 2011 and has the support of the employment office and the unions. It has a percentage of job placement or return to studies of 65% and the cost for 2011 was SEK 5,590,000 (600,000 €).

BOMBARDIER

COUNTRY: GERMANYTARGET GROUP: DISABLEDFIELD: INSERTIONDESCRIPTION:

A project promoted and fostered by the Hessen Assistance Association (LWV), the Baunataler Diakonie Kassel Organisation and the Bombardier Railway company whose aim is to help disabled people to find work in the mainstream job market under real conditions so that in the future they will be able to form part of the company’s staff.

The project began as a pilot programme in August 2006 and was officially launched in 2007 and running until December 2012, although there are plans to extend the project in the future. The number of participants in 15, reaching the programme through what are known as protected workshops, working in assembly tasks for boxes containing company materials.

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Throughout the project life, new collaborative contracts have been signed with this and other companies to expand this type of project.

PERSPEKTIVE 50 PLUS

COUNTRY: GERMANYTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLEFIELD: GUIDANCE, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND INSERTIONDESCRIPTION:

Programme belonging to the Federal Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, although its implementation and development is undertaken at a local level through regional Employment Offices. The programme was set up in 2006 and is currently in its third phase, running until 2015. The primary aim of this programme consists in the fostering of actions geared towards providing contracts for the long-term unemployed over 50 years of age, whose operational modus operandi is to encourage the creation of local pacts involving the main social agents and participants.

Activities are centred around carrying out campaigns to raise awareness, making contact with companies and offering a service named demographic assessment. Attention is given on a personalised basis, taking into account the abilities and capabilities available and offering opportunities for personal development, with the aim of reintegration into the workplace for persons forming this collective. The number of participants in this centre since the programme began has reached 1,650, with 250 in 2011 and achieving a professional insertion ratio of 49%, be it contracted or self-employment.

QUALIFIZIERUNG UND BESCHÄFTIGUND

COUNTRY: GERMANYTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLEFIELD: TRAININGDESCRIPTION:

Alternating training programme of the non-profit association, AGIL, lasting 18 months and divided into two groups: the first group comprising 12 participants aged between 14 and 18 years who have failed or may fail in the education system, and the second consisting of 13 young people aged between 18 and 25 years with special needs for training or professional life. The goal is for the participants, who come mainly from the Federal Employment Agency in the district of Kassel, where they receive a monthly social allowance, and from youth assistance

68


associations, to have the opportunity to prepare for high school and to acquire partial qualifications and certificates in the treatment of metal and wood and in cooking, tailoring the types of training to existing professional demand. The programme intersperses theoretical and practical training, with a distribution of one and four days respectively, focusing on five pillars:

1. Acquisition of specialized knowledge2. Socio-educational skills for personal development3. Acquisition of social and occupational skills 4. Advice and support for professional integration5. Intensive preparation for obtaining the Lower Secondary

Certificate (Hauptschulabschluss) Participants in these programmes are quite disconnected from the

labour market, so the integration rate is around 25%, although many participants find the goals and objectives for their future and manage to move towards the social and occupational integration.

The programme is funded by the Federal Employment Agency of Kassel, the European Social Fund, the State of Hessen and the Government of the District of Kassel and its cost is approximately 500,000 Euros.

INITIATIVES DE DEVÉLOPPEMENT DE L’EMPLOI DANS LE SECTEUR DES SERVICES DE PROXIMITÉ A FINALITé SOCIALE (IDESS)

COUNTRY: BELGIUMTARGET GROUP: PEOPLE OVER 45 YEARS OF AGEFIELD: PLACEMENT AND SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION DESCRIPTION:

Programme managed by the CPAS of Frameries, whose dual purpose is the provision of certain services to people who cannot access them in the regular market and the employability of people with difficulties in entering the labour market. Among the services offered are social transport, small repairs, laundry, gardening and social shop. Users who can apply for these services must belong to one of the following groups: people who are paid basic assistance, people over 65 years of age or people with incomes below 19,900 Euros. Participants in this programme are mainly people who work within the contract of Article 60 or who worked under that contract and have now stabilized their work situation.

The programme became operational in 2006 through a decree of the Walloon Region as part of the cooperation agreement between

69


the state and federal areas for the approval and granting of IDESS, is renewed every four years following an assessment by the Regional Accreditation Commission and is funded by the Walloon Region and the CPAS.

The number of participants since 2008 have been 64 with an integration rate of 50% and the annual cost is 380,000 Euros, which is funded with revenue from the services performed and funds from the Federal State and the Walloon Region.

JOBCOACHING

COUNTRY: BELGIUMTARGET GROUP: UNEMPLOYED IN GENERALFIELD: GUIDANCEDESCRIPTION:

Programme promoted by the organization Mission Régionale pour l’emploi du Centre consisting of support integration through jobcoaching and is based primarily on the demands of job seekers, providing the necessary advice for their employment. For this purpose, the service is organized in two phases:

1. Individual interview which seeks to provide a comprehensive study of the participant in terms of their experience, skills, interests and obstacles.

2. Design and development of a plan of action with employment goals.

Having verified the chances of job placement, the next phase involves a series of group activities called “we build your future”, with a maximum of 15 participants and a duration of two weeks in which an animator uses a series of tools to improve the employability of participants, such as effective CV and cover letter design, preparing for job interviews, placement in a job to confirm a professional project or group dynamics. After this period the animator issues a report on each of the participants and the coacher decides who is able to start an active job search and they start working together. In the event that the person is not ready to complete this stage, the process begins again. The number of persons involved in this support programme in 2011 was 565.

This organization has an extensive network of 750 partner companies in the region, allowing it to act as a link between supply and demand for employment, taking into account the profile of job seekers and the professional needs of each company. It also provides support in the pre-selection of candidates and during their employment and in some cases can provide additional training.

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The number of participants in this programme in 2011 was 565 and the job placement results achieved amounted to 60%. Funding comes from the Walloon Region, the FOREM and the European Social Fund.

PROACTION

COUNTRY: BELGIUMTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE, LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED FIELD: INTEGRATIONDESCRIPTION:

Programme promoted by Le FOREM and the CPAS of Mons, Frameries, Saint Ghislain, Quévy, Quaregnon, Quievrain, Honnelles, Colfontaine, Boussu, Dour and Hensies in order to establish an interconnection between these two agencies to ensure continuity of labour integration itineraries, offering complementarity through the sharing of knowledge and resources to ensure intensive support to improve the employability of beneficiaries. ProAction provides information, guidance, supervision and labour integration to people with real difficulties in finding work, through individualized plans that also include the identification of occupational needs in the labour market.

The programme began in 2001 and is expected to continue until the end of 2013. It is partly funded by the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Social Integration and the priority public for this programme mainly consists of the following groups:

• Workers of Article 60 in the last quarter of their contract, which lasts for one year.

• Young people from 18 to 25 years of age who are beneficiaries of Social Integration Income, who are in a period of labour integration internship and/or recipients of a social assistance supplement.

• Beneficiaries of Social Integration Income who are registered in the FOREM and are intending to enrol in a vocational integration programme.

• People without unemployment benefits because of a permanent or temporary ONEM sanction.

The number of participants in 2011 among the ten CPAS was 254, with a success rate of 80% through 122 employment contracts, 50 returns to school, 24 self-employments and 5 reorientations to FOREM or CPAS.

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REGIE DE QUARTIERS

COUNTRY: BELGIUMTARGET GROUP: UNEMPLOYED IN GENERALFIELD: TRAINING, GUIDANCE, PLACEMENT AND SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION DESCRIPCIÓN:

These social inclusion bodies called Neighbourhood Management Companies aim to improve living conditions in one or more residential neighbourhoods by implementing an integration policy. They start out with a double mission: on the one hand, accompanying socio-professional integration through pre-qualification training and socio-occupational guidance and, on the other hand, the revitalization of the most marginalized neighbourhoods with improvement actions through the implementation of projects involving the participation of the residents.

The target audience are unemployed people over 18 years of age who receive the social integration income of the CPAS or have no income, giving priority to residents of the neighbourhood and the upper secondary educational level being the maximum level for entry. If they have a very low level of learning, they are sent to other agencies to acquire basic skills.

The training offer is diverse, permanent and specialized mainly in masonry, but gardening, paving and welding are also offered. The maximum duration of training is twelve months, divided into ten months of technical training and basic social habits and two months of workshops and practical experience in the public sector. The number of participants between the centres in Mons, Frameries and Colfontaine in 2011 amounted to 91, achieving 65% satisfactory results in terms either of obtaining a job or returning to school.

On the other hand, the initiatives to revitalize neighbourhoods are agreed through close collaboration between the City, the CPAS and other non-profit organizations and may include the opening of second-hand stores, exchange of experiences and learning, cooking and DIY workshops or the setting up of a Christmas market.

Funding comes from the FOREM, the Walloon Housing Fund, the City of Frameries and the Housing Society.

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TITRES SERVICES

COUNTRY: BELGIUMTARGET GROUP: UNEMPLOYED IN GENERALFIELD: INTEGRATIONDESCRIPTION:

System established in 2004 by the National Employment Office consisting of performing tasks such as domestic work in homes, ironing or assisting the movement of disabled users, through a system called cheque service that aims to create jobs for low-skilled workers, combat undeclared work and meet the growing needs for domestic help, offering users a regulated, quality service that allows the reconciliation of work and family life.

The procedure is based on the acquisition by users of a series of cheques, each of which represents an hour of work, which are used to pay the authorized companies for the services. The cost of each cheque for users is 7.50 Euros, from which they get a 30% tax rebate via a system of deductions, whereby the actual cost is 5.25 Euros. Moreover, the State pays the authorized companies a public subsidy of 13.60 Euros per cheque.

The number of such companies in Belgium at the end of 2010 was around 2,700, employing about 120,000 people, of whom 97% were female and two thirds had few qualifications. The number of cheques was around 95 million in 2010 and the number of users about 760,000. The gross cost of the measure in the same year amounted to 1,370 million Euros, including public subsidies, regulatory costs for the implementation of the measure and the cost of the tax deduction. However, the direct benefits, such as payment of unemployment benefits, income from social security contributions or income tax, amounted to 40%, in addition to other indirect benefits difficult to quantify such as the increase in revenue from corporate tax and VAT or the possibility of older people continuing to live at home.

DIVERSAMENTE ABILE UGUALMENTE PRODUTTIVO

COUNTRY: ITALYTARGET GROUP: DISABLEDFIELD: PLACEMENTDESCRIPTION:

Communication campaign promoted by the Service for the Employment of Disabled Persons and beneficiaries of Act 68/99 of the province of Oristano, with the participation of municipalities, local

73


health authorities and social districts of the province between January 2008 and March 2009. The intended purpose was to sensitize employers on issues relating to recruitment of disabled persons and corporate social responsibility, bearing in mind that the employer who hires a person from this group is a socially responsible employer who at the same time does not want to compromise the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of his company.

The campaign focused primarily on three tools: a handbook entitled “Job placement of unprivileged people in a framework of sanitary district”, an innovative communication campaign in advertising media and materials called “Variously skilled, equally productive” featuring disabled people from the province of Oristano with job placements and guide for the recruitment disabled people with a collection of questions frequently asked by both employers and employees on this issue.

The results have been an increase in the number of contacts made by business associations and labour consultants to the Service for the Employability of Disabled People and to the areas of social services, an improvement in the quality of initiatives for users with multiple difficulties and an increase in the number of disabled people hired. Also, the communication campaign has achieved several national awards in this field. The total cost of the campaign amounted to 74,640 Euro.

IMPRENDIAMOCI

COUNTRY: ITALYTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE, UNEMPLOYED AND ENTREPRENEURS FIELD: PROMOTION OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE DESCRIPTION:

Project promoted and managed by the Regional Agency for Employment of Sardinia between January 2009 and March 2011, in partnership with the Sardinian Chamber of Commerce, the Equality Council, the Committee for Women Entrepreneurs and with the collaboration of the Employment Service Centre of Cagliari, with the dual aim of spreading the culture of entrepreneurship among students and the unemployed and promoting a public service network to help new entrepreneurs develop their business and solve their problems.

The main tools for the project have been the creation of a DVD called “IMPRENDIAMOCI – In viaggio verso l’impresa” (A travel trough the Enterprise) and the creation of a website, www.imprendiamoci.it, covering aspects of entrepreneurship, in simple language, interactive and also accessible to the disabled. Both tools have the structure of a virtual tour of the world of business, divided into five different sections:

74


motivation for self-employment, development of a business idea, starting a business, financial resources and business plan.

The content of the DVD and the website is enriched by interviews with three successful young Sardinian entrepreneurs, who offer their testimony about how they deal with and solve problems regarding the implementation and management of their businesses, and a complete map of the Sardinia offices to help aspiring entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs to implement and develop their specific business. Also included is a journal in which the user can enter his personal opinion on each topic or answer specific questions from each section, creating his own professional path.

The cost of the layout and printing of the 5,000 DVDs was 30,000 Euro and the design and maintenance of the web amounted to 16,500 Euro. The content of the DVD and the website were written by staff of the Regional Agency for Employment of Sardinia and to date about 3,500 copies have been distributed through various entities of Sardinia and in the next coming academic year it will continue to be distributed in secondary schools.

MASTER AND BACK

COUNTRY: ITALYTARGET GROUP: YOUNG PEOPLE WITH UNIVERSITY QUALIFICATIONS FIELD: TRAINING AND PLACEMENTDESCRIPCIÓN:

Advanced training programme promoted and managed by the Regional Agency for Employment of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. It started in 2006, is run annually and has two purposes: firstly, to increase the level of education and training of young Sardinian graduates, promote and support access to advanced post-graduate training in universities and international organizations of recognized quality, and secondly, to encourage and support the return of young people in the region and their integration into the world of work after training to implement the knowledge acquired in the business and production of the island.

This programme contains a number of measures to strengthen higher education and employment in Sardinia, including most of the resources needed to achieve its goals, such as funding for scholarships, grants for participation in training courses and internships and disbursement of grants to companies and organizations for activating re-entry pathways.

75


Training can be in university specialization courses, master’s or doctorates both in Italy and abroad but not in the region of Sardinia. The number of beneficiaries is 250 people per year and the results show employment of around 70% although only 35% of the total is in the region of Sardinia, the rest being in other Italian regions or abroad. The budget is about 7 million Euro a year, a high percentage of which is by the European Social Fund.

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77


Criteriafor analysis

and selectionof good practices

6

DefinitionSelection criteria

78


6.1. Good practices definition

The development of any manual or guide on good practices involves defining what is considered a good practice by the context and the specific subject which are linked to the different experiences. In this sense, and taking into account the contents of this manual we define good practice for improving the employability of people in the areas of employment, education and social services as:

Any experience, initiative, performance, design, methodology, tool or measure of an innovative nature, promoted by various administrations, that may be transferable to other areas and has proved its effectiveness in achieving the objective of improving the employability of people allowing the access, maintenance or improvement of employment, personal development and social integration, as well as promoting entrepreneurship and social economy.

6.2. Selection criteria of good practices

Several studies propose a number of criteria to qualify an experience as a good practice. In relation to this project, we have taken into account some of those proposed in the Methodological Guide of Good Practices of the Centre for the Improvement of Public Services of the Government of Andalusia (2007) adapted to the objectives and characteristics of this manual. Finally, we have considered the following: Innovation, Transferability, Sustainability, Results and Participation.

Innovation. This technical criterion refers to the originality of a practice, experience and / or project, based on various technical aspects. It refers in a broad sense and considering a wide spectrum of possibilities and aspects in which innovative elements can be detected.

The initiative can be innovative because of the group of people to whom it is addressed, the particular problem to be solved, the specifics of the procedure used to implement it, or the methods and tools used in the execution of its activities. The value of any practice will be significantly greater the more innovative elements it includes.

The sub-criteria of selection to be analysed are the degree of innovation and originality of the practice and the introduction of

Criteriafor analysis

79


new elements with a positive impact on previously existing projects, such as administrative reorganization, redefinition of protocols or implementation of new performance techniques.

Transferability. This refers to the possibility of applying the practice in another context, either organizational or territorial, in order to improve employability.

The systematization of a good practice requires a clear, precise and critical interpretation of the processes which were followed in order that they can be successfully implemented in other contexts. Good practices allow modifications but if these involve changing core elements they may lose the key to their success. Furthermore, if they depend on very specific circumstances of the context in which they take place although the results have been positive they cannot be considered a good practice.

The sub-criteria of selection to be studied are matching or common aspects with other organizations, elements with potential for replication or reproduction in other organizational contexts, the degree of flexibility and adaptability of practice processes and the degree of willingness to change of the teams.

Sustainability. This criterion refers to the existence of the practice in time without its effectiveness declining and without resorting to extra resources of the entity. Sustainability implies taking into account the possibility of unfavourable scenarios, especially in terms of funding or available resources that may affect the continuation of the good practice.

There are also practices that have a limited life, so when their execution has ended we have to take into account the achievements, impacts and consequences that remain over time, such as improving the labour situation, creating new capacities or increasing employability.

The sub-criteria of selection to be considered are the durability of the practice or experience and the need of resources and facilities during the expected period of time of execution.

Results. This criterion states that the implementation of the practice should help to improve the existing baseline through positive, visible and measurable changes, so it is necessary to analyze the results obtained.

Good practices usually generate multiplier effects, which are difficult to predict and measure both at their beginning and at their end because positive effects may appear once the practice has ended.

80


The selection sub-criteria to be considered after the launch of the practice are demonstrated improvements in the living conditions of citizens, the benefits obtained by the specific group which the project was aimed at through labour and social integration, prizes and awards received, and the impact on the transformation of the environment in which it is situated.

Participation. Partnerships and coordination among various agents, organizations, institutions and entities, including various administrative levels, provide an added value to the development of the process of achieving the objectives of the practice.

A major reason for promoting the integration of different agents in the projects is the ability to provide resources and real solutions, within their scope, to the needs detected in the population or the environment as well as reducing any administrative or legal obstacles which may arise. However, when the participating agencies and their objectives are very different the possibilities of reaching consensus are more complicated.

The selection sub-criteria to be analysed are the organizations involved, especially the ones which integrate the areas of education, social services and employment, level of competencies in decision making and degree of commitment within the projects.

Likewise, a multi-criteria analysis has been performed compliant with a weighted evaluation system which contains the following characteristics:

• The maximum score for each work placement programme is 100.

• The criteria selected to determine good practices have certain values assigned which provide the relevance of the criteria in question.

• Each criterion is divided into sub-criteria, with different scores, with 10 assigned to the most important and 5 to the least important.

• Sub-criteria are rated in accordance with their presence (10 or 5) or absence (0) as part of the work-experience programme under study.

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Selectioncriteria

Innovation

Transferability

Sustainability

Results

Participation

Selectionsubcriteria

Degree of innovationand originality

Introduction of newelements

Common aspectswith other organizations

Elements with potentialfor replication in otherorganizational contexts

Degree of flexibility and adaptability of practice processes

Degree of willingnessto change of the teams

Durability of the practice

Need of resources and facilities

Demonstrated improvements in the living conditionsof citizens

Benefits obtainedby the specific group

Prizes and awards received

Impact on the transformation of the environment

Organizations involved

Level of competencies

Degree of commitment

Weighting

10

5

5

10

5

5

5

10

10

10

5

5

5

5

5

Maximumscore

15

25

15

30

15

Relativeweight

15%

25%

15%

30%

15%

The final aim of this system is to obtain a number of initiatives which have reached a minimum score of 65 following their evaluation and therefore are a priori the most appropriate ones to use for extrapolation purposes. This weighting has followed the scores proposed in the methodological guidelines mentioned previously, adapting them to the singularities of this manual and providing the results as shown in the following table.

82


83


Analysisresults7

84


Analysis resultsBelow are the results classified by the analytical criteria of each of

the selected projects or initiatives.

7.1. Innovation Criterion

Weighting

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services


Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Degr

ee o

f

inno

vatio

n

Intro

duct

ion

of n

ewel

emen

ts

Parti

alre

sults

10

0

1

1

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

1

0

1

1

1

1

0

0

15

5

15

15

15

15

15

0

15

5

0

15

5

15

15

15

15

5

0

5

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

85


Weighting

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services


Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Com

mon

as

pect

s

Elem

ents

with

pote

ntia

l for

repl

icat

ion

Degr

ee o

ffle

xibi

lity

5

0

1

0

1

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

0

1

1

0

1

1

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

10

1

1

0

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

1

1

1

7.2. Transferability Criterion

Degr

ee o

f

will

ingn

ess

to c

hang

e

5

1

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

0

1

1

1

Parti

alre

sults

25

15

15

5

10

15

20

25

10

20

20

25

10

10

5

20

20

20

86


Weighting

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services


Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Dura

bilit

y of

the

prac

tice

Nee

d of

re

sour

ces

and

faci

litie

s

5

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

10

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

7.3. Sustainability Criterion

Parti

alre

sults

15

5

15

5

0

15

5

5

5

5

5

15

5

15

15

5

15

15

5

87


Weighting

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services


Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Impr

ovem

ents

in th

e liv

ing

cond

ition

Bene

fits

obta

ined

Prize

s an

d aw

ards

10

0

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

0

10

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

7.4. Results Criterion

Impa

ct o

n th

e

trans

form

atio

n

5

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

1

1

1

0

Parti

alre

sults

30

15

25

10

10

15

25

10

10

15

10

25

15

10

25

30

20

20

10

88


Weighting

Aktivitesprogrammet






Ungdomstrainee

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus


IDESS

Jobcoaching

Proaction

Regie de Quartiers

Titres Services


Imprendiamoci

Master and Back

Org

aniza

tions

invo

lved

Leve

l of

com

pete

ncie

s

Degr

ee o

f

com

mitm

ent

5

0

1

1

1

0

1

0

1

0

1

0

1

1

1

0

1

1

0

5

1

1

1

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

1

1

0

5

1

1

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

1

1

0

1

1

1

7.5. Participation Criterion

Parti

alre

sults

15

10

15

10

10

10

15

10

15

10

10

5

10

15

15

0

15

15

5

89


Weighting



IDESS

Regie de Quartiers


Imprendiamoci


Proaction

Jobcoaching

Titres Services

Bombardier

Perspektive 50 plus

Aktivitesprogrammet

Ungdomstrainee




Master and Back

Inno

vatio

nTr

ansf

erab

ility

Sust

aina

bilit

y

15

15

15

15

15

15

5

15

15

5

15

15

5

5

0

5

15

15

0

15

15

15

15

15

15

5

15

15

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

0

5

25

15

20

20

10

20

20

15

10

25

5

10

20

15

25

20

5

10

20

7.6. Final Results

Resu

lts

30

25

20

25

25

25

20

15

10

15

30

10

15

15

10

10

10

10

10

Fina

lre

sults

100

85

85

80

80

80

75

70

65

60

55

55

55

50

50

50

45

45

40

Parti

cipa

tion

15

15

15

5

15

15

15

10

15

10

0

15

10

10

10

10

10

10

5

We conclude with a summary of the data obtained during the multi-criteria analysis, sorting projects in descending order according to their final score. Those marked in different colours are those that have been selected as good practices to be developed later.

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91


Descriptionof selected

good practices8

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Nombre del proyecto:Coordination Association Skellefteå

Country

Duration

Field

Target group and number of beneficiaries

Participatingentities

Briefdescription

Sweden.

This organization was founded in 2005 and it will go on as long as the act of financial coordination of rehabilitation exists in Sweden.

Integration.

The number of beneficiaries of these programmes ranges from 500 to 1000 per year and they are people who are at risk of falling between the “gaps of the authorities” and require the action of various groups, individuals with complex rehabilitation needs due to long unemployment or illness and young people who are neither studying nor working.

This organization is led by representatives of the Central Government through the Social Security Office and the Employment Office; the Regional Government in charge of the Health Office; and the Municipality of Skellefteå through the Social Service Office, Secondary School Office and Labour Market Unit.

The Coordination Association Skellefteå is an own legal and independent organization with its own budget and the financing, management and governance aspects are regulated by Act 2003:2010. The association is led by a board of representatives from member organizations, both politicians and civil servants. Nowadays there are 83 coordination associations in Sweden.The objectives of this organization are as follows: to take full responsibility and provide the necessary support for integration, establish a single action by all authorities with individual attention to needs for integration and, finally, create opportunities for more efficient use of resources based on local needs and conditions.

Below are the results classified by the analytical crite-ria of each of the selected projects or initiatives.

93


Implementa-tionprocess

Results

Contactdetails

Since 2006 Coordination Skellefteå has financed over 30 projects in the field of rehabilitation at a cost of over 4 million Euro.

The preparation and implementation of multi actor cooperation structures needs an appropriate timescale to allow real change to take place. The results of this type of organization in the long term are due to the adaptation of structures, culture and working methods.The coordinated policies are carried out at local level but they require a supportive structure at national level for developing new institutional structures which need constant monitoring and evaluation.Exchange of experiences between various regions using financial coordination models has been beneficial to those regions where the process is starting.

The number of participants between 2009 and 2010 has been about 1,000 people, of whom 45% have found a job or returned to school. The participants also gave very favourable opinions when they estimated the positive effects the projects had had on their personal situation.The efforts made with these programmes had a positive and measurable impact on youth unemployment and sick leave.

Stellan BerglundHead of Coordination Association Skellefteå+46 910 73 46 [email protected]

Below are the results classified by the analytical crite-ria of each of the selected projects or initiatives.

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Country

Duration

Field



Briefdescription

Italy.

The project period extended from January 2008 until March 2009.

Insertion.

• Disabled people and beneficiaries of Law 68/99 in the province of Oristano. • Public and private employers.• Local, regional and national officers.• Entrepreneurial associations of disabled people. Communication campaign promoted by the job placement service of disabled people and beneficiaries of Act 68/99 of the Province of Oristano with the participation of municipalities, local health authorities and social districts of the province of Oristano.

The intended purpose was to sensitize employers on issues relating to recruitment of disabled persons and corporate social responsibility, bearing in mind that the employer who hires a person from this group is a socially responsible employer who at the same time does not want to compromise the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of his company.The catchphrase “Diversamente abile, ugualmente produttivo” (Variously skilled, equally productive) intends to focus on the fact that the duality “Disable people and work” is not only possible, but represents an opportunity for companies. The campaign focused primarily on three tools:

1. A handbook “Job placement of people with difficult access to the labour market in a health district framework”, which aims to provide a comprehensive and easy tool for social and health officers, increasing the quality of the service to disabled workers and entrepreneurs.2. An innovative communication campaign in advertising media and materials called “Diversamente abile ugualmente produttivo”

Nombre del proyecto:Diversamente abile ugualmente produttivo

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Results

Contactdetails

featuring disabled people from the province of Oristano with job placements.3. A brochure entitled “Guide for the Job Placement of disabled persons” with a collection of questions frequently asked by both employers and employees on this issue.

The total cost of the campaign amounted to 74,640 Euro. The Labour, Vocational Training and Social Policies Department of the province of Oristano planned and implemented a marketing and communication model which includes several products, aiming to offer an integrated answer to the needs of information and assistance of the target audience.The communication campaign is a practice that can be transferred, taking into account the following issues:

- The project has been financed exclusively by provincial funds.- The personnel of the job placement service for disable people was involved in the project.- Employers and disabled employees were involved in the implementation.

The results obtained through the communication campaign have been an increase in the number of contacts made by business associations and labour consultants to the Service for the Employability of Disabled People and to the areas of social services, an improvement in the quality of initiatives for users with multiple difficulties and an increase in the number of disabled people hired. Also, this campaign has achieved several national awards in this field. The total cost of the campaign amounted to 74,640 Euro. Annalisa Iacuzzi Labour, Vocational Training and Social Policies Department. Service for job placement for disabled persons and beneficiaries of Act 68/99 Province of Oristano+39 783 793 [email protected]

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Nombre del proyecto:Initiatives de développement de l’emploi dans le sec-teur des services de proximité a finalité sociale (IDESS)

Country

Duration

Field



Briefdescription

Belgium.

The programme became operational in 2006 through a decree of the Walloon Region as part of the cooperation agreement between the state and federal areas for the approval and granting of IDESS, is renewed every four years following an assessment by the Regional Accreditation Commission and is funded by the Walloon Region and the CPAS.

Placement and social and professional integration.

Participants in this programme are mainly people who work within the contract of Article 60 or who worked under that contract and have now stabilized their work situation.The number of beneficiaries of the services offered by this programme amounts to 200 in the Frameries CPAS.

CPAS de Frameries.

Social Economy programme managed by the CPAS of Frameries, whose dual purpose is the provision of certain services to people who cannot access them in the regular market and the employability of people with difficulties in entering the labour market. Among the services offered are social transport, small repairs, laundry, gardening and social shop. Users who can apply for these services must belong to one of the following groups: people who are paid basic assistance, people over 65 years of age or people with incomes below 19,900 Euros. Participants in this programme are mainly people who work within the contract of Article 60 or who worked under that contract and have now stabilized their work situation.

97



At the beginning of the integration contract, the participant takes training based on the skills and abilities he has and the existing services offered. Practical training is usually carried out in public institutions and is complemented by workshops for the development of social skills, such as interpersonal communication, stress management and conflict resolution.The monitoring of programme participants is based on three main axes:- Individualized approach to workers. The social worker meets regularly with the participants in this programme in order to check their progress, and resolve potential problems and obstacles. At the same time, participants can confidentially express doubts, fears and professional expectations in order to shape their own future.- Use of group techniques. Group work allows for a complementary methodology and a different approach to the one carried out individually. The intended goal is to create a group feeling, in which participants can contribute and share work experiences.- The implementation of coordinated meetings. The various IDESS structures hold these meetings in order to create synergies and discover the social problems existing in different areas through a common medium.At the time at which the participants come to the end of their integration contract, they move on to a joint monitoring program with Le FOREM called ProAction.The staff consists of technical supervisors, a clerk and a social worker. The annual cost is 380,000 Euro, which is funded with revenue from the services performed and funds from the Federal State and the Walloon Region.

Before the launch of the IDESS programme, the CPAS of Frameries provided services such as medical transport for people with mobility difficulties, social shop and small gardening jobs.

98


Results

Contactdetails

The IDESS are distributed throughout the Walloon Region but some features of the service vary according to the agency providing the services.

There have been 64 participants in this programme since 2008, with an employment rate of 50%.

Thierry LarcinSocial worker and coordinator of the vocational integration service of the CPAS of Frameries. +32 (0) 656 11 [email protected]

99


Nombre del proyecto:Regie de quartier

Country

Duration

Field



Belgium.

Ongoing since 1993.

Training, Guidance, Social and Professional integration.

The target public group aimed at are persons of legal age who are currently unemployed and receive a benefit payment from the CPAS or have no other means of income, prioritising aid for residents of the neighbourhood, and open to persons with academic qualifications no greater than Secondary Education Qualifications. For persons with learning difficulties, specialist centres are used so that basic knowledge and skills can be acquired. The number of beneficiaries reached 98 in 2008, 81 in 2009 and 91 for both 2010 and 2011. The Regie de Quartier are organisms for social insertion with a dual aim: firstly, to accompany socio-professional insertion through the obtaining of a pre-qualification and socio-professional guidance, and, also, to give a boost to impoverished areas through improvement action plans devised in tandem with local inhabitants. These initiatives are agreed through a close-knit collaborative network involving local councils, CPAS and other non-profit organisations, and may take the form of the opening of second hand shops, learning exchanges, cuisine workshops or a Yuletide marketplace. Each regie is staffed by an accompanying worker with technical knowledge, though they do not provide professional training, a social mediator, which is often a social worker who is entrusted with solving problems which arise between participants, and as in this case, a coordinator when the association is comprised of several regies.

100


Briefdescription


Results

They have a diverse, ongoing and specialist training programme on offer, focused mainly on aspects of building work and trades, although also offering gardening, paving and welding tuition. Within each training block, there is a technical section and a part dealing with basic social skills, as well as strengthening elements such as the French language and mathematics. After ten months, once the technical part has been completed, the next step is to commence the workshop and work-experience stage carried out in the public sector, for example on properties belonging to the Housing Association, or in the CPAS’ offices for a duration of 160 hours. The number of students per course in 10 with continuous enrolment, there is no specific starting date. The contract given to participants on this programme lasts for a maximum of 12 months, beginning with a month-long trial-period to verify whether or not they adapt well and can handle the tasks asked of them, following this they sign a contract with can be extended every three months. At the end of the year, the aim is that they find work or commence a training course leading to a recognised professional qualification.

The roots of companies dealing with neighbourhood management date back to France in the early nineties and were formed largely by residents of the neighbourhoods themselves. The Regie de quartier in Mons, Frameries and Colfontaine were created in 1993 and until 2005 depended on Housing Associations. The reason that these were created was due to the degradation of certain neighbourhoods coupled with a small increase in petty-crime. The success of the management of a body of this nature depends largely on the interest and efforts of the residents.

Results in 2011 were satisfactory with 65% of people placed, divided into 35% who found employment and 30% who began a professional qualification.Also, the development of activities brings with it an improvement in living-standards in the

101


Contactdetails

neighbourhood and strengthens the bonds between its inhabitants, as well as creating employment opportunities.

Virginie WillequetCoordinator of the Regie de quartier in Mons, Frameries and Colfontaine+32 222 110 [email protected]

102


Nombre del proyecto:The View. Labour Market Square

Country

Duration.

Field



Briefdescription

Sweden.

The project period extends from 1st September 2010 until 31st August 2013.

Orientation, Training and Placement.

Project aimed at young people between 16 and 29 years of age, but particularly focused on people under 24 who have the common denominator of the need for long-term support and require the cooperation of various authorities to access the labour market. The obstacles they face may be physical, psychological, social or related to employment.The number of beneficiaries expected for this project is between 450 and 600.

The collaborating entities are the Employment Office, Department for Social Insurance, Social Services, Labour Market Unit and High School Office.

The ongoing project “The view” is coordinated by the Labour Market Square of the Municipality of Skellefteå in order to create a cohesive community where young job seekers with special needs can receive the support they require through a common approach in the organized tasks as well as in the location. The primary objectives are to create a common space that makes for greater efficiency in time and resources, the development of tools and common elements of assessment and the implementation of action plans which focus on these young people. In addition, it is planned to implement a standard model for contact with companies.This project is funded by the Association of Coordination with a budget of SEK 8,600,000 (€ 950,000).

103



Results

Contactdetails

The question of implementation has been a key issue for the participating authorities since the start of the project due to the requirements for the coordination of staff from the diverse authorities. At present, the methods and protocols that had been developed so far have been fully implemented and the main goal is to reach the objectives required to continue with the project permanently. The main issue for the successful transfer of this project is to achieve an overall view of each individual and of his personal circumstances. A recommendation for the future is to find methods which can make a common analysis of the needs of people with complex rehabilitation characteristics through the action of several authorities. The main idea must be to co-operate and share responsibilities.

The number of referrals to this project in June 2012 by the different agencies has been 152, of which 71 have ended up participating, achieving 60% job placement or return to studies. The average stay of each user in this programme is eight and a half months.

Kenneth SundbergProject Manager+46 910 712 [email protected]

104


Nombre del proyecto:Imprendiamoci – In viaggio verso l’impresa(Un viaje a través de la empresa)

Country

Duration

Field



Briefdescription

Italy.

January 2009 – June 2010 – Making of the DVD Imprediamoci – In viaggio verso l’impresa.March 2011 – March 2012 – Creation of the website www.imprendiamoci.it.

Promotion of a self employment and entrepreneurial culture.

Students attending the last year at Secondary School, unemployed, aspiring entrepreneurs, new entrepreneurs.

The project was created and managed by the Regional Employment Agency of Sardinia in partnership with the Sardinian Chamber of Commerce, the Equality Council and the Committee for Women Entrepreneurs and with the collaboration of the Employment Service Centre of Cagliari.

Sardinia has always suffered from problems of high unemployment and low entrepreneurial spirit. Also, the main enterprises located in the region are usually very small and badly planned, so the Agency for Employment felt the need to implement a project with the objective of promoting the entrepreneurial culture.The project Imprediamoci arises from all these previous considerations and it has two main objectives:

- To disseminate the entrepreneurial culture among the unemployed and students;- To promote a public services network to help new entrepreneurs develop their business and solve their problems.

The main tools for the project have been the creation of a DVD called “IMPREDIAMOCI – In viaggio verso l’impresa” and the creation of a

105



website, www.imprendiamoci.it, covering aspects of entrepreneurship, in simple language, interactive and also accessible to the disabled. Both tools have the structure of a virtual tour of the world of business, divided into five different sections: motivation for self-employment, development of a business idea, starting a business, financial resources and business plan.The content of the DVD and the website is enriched by interviews with three successful young Sardinian entrepreneurs, who offer their testimony about how they deal with and solve problems regarding the implementation and management of their businesses, and a complete map of the Sardinia offices to help aspiring entrepreneurs and new entrepreneurs to implement and develop their specific business. Also included is a journal in which the user can enter his personal opinion on each topic or answer specific questions from each section, creating his own professional path.The cost of the layout and printing of the 5,000 DVDs was 30,000 Euro and the design and maintenance of the web amounted to 16,500 Euro. The content of the DVD and the website were written by staff of the Regional Agency for Employment of Sardinia. 1. Focus group Interviews.First of all, the Agency tried to identify the real difficulties that an aspiring entrepreneur faces during the development of his business idea or at the start up and the tools which were considered to be most useful for their specific needs. For this purpose, different focus groups of aspiring entrepreneurs were selected to be interviewed by the Agency.2. Creation of the partnership.At the same time, the Agency studied the best way to build a strong partnership among Sardinian public offices involved in business creation, with the purpose of establishing a specialized network cooperating with the Agency for the improvement of the project.These two periods covered about 6 months, from January to June 2009.

106


Results

Contactdetails

3. Planning of the DVD.One of the most demanding steps of the project was the planning of the whole DVD: its main structure, its topics and the other instruments included in the DVD. After a long period of discussion, these tasks were carried out with the collaboration of some specialized public offices of the network. Next, the Agency worked on the interviews to the selected entrepreneurs.This period lasted over a year, from February 2009 until April 2010.4. Creation of the DVD.The last step was the layout and printing of the DVD which was done by an external specialized company with the collaboration and under the supervision of the Agency. 5. Creation of the website.After the positive experience of creating the DVD, the Agency decided to publish its contents in a specific website, so that the interested people could access it easily. The website and the DVD’s contents are the same, but the website is easier to use because it was simplified for better accessibility.

About 3,500 copies have been distributed so far through various entities of Sardinia and in the coming academic year it will continue to be distributed in secondary schools. The Agency is planning to further develop the project directed at Sardinian secondary schools with the organization of workshops for the promotion of the self-employment culture and awards for the best projects on enterprise creation on the basis of the format created within the project Imprendiamoci.

Paola M. LajProject Coordinator+39 706 067 [email protected] Natascia MurgiaProject Coordinator+39 706 067 [email protected]

107


Nombre del proyecto:Sommarlovsentreprenor

Country

Duration

Field



Briefdescription


Sweden.

This activity lasts up to nine weeks during the summer holidays. 2012 has been the second edition.

Training and Promotion of Entrepreneurship.

Young unemployed and high school students. The number of participants was 23 in 2011 in areas such as bakery, gardening, web design, child care, dance school or music production.

Municipality of Skellefteå and the entity, Open for Business, from the Västernorrland Region.

Project to establish businesses in the municipality of Skellefteå aimed at young unemployed and high school students, offering them the opportunity to create their own business based on the ideas and needs of the beneficiaries themselves during the summer months, for a period of up to nine weeks. The methodologies, tools and models have been developed by the agency, Open for Business, in the region of Västernorrland and the concept has spread to other locations in Sweden and internationally.The entrepreneurs receive personalized advice from business advisors who identify the existing skills and resources, providing practical tools, business models and personal knowledge for the implementation of the business. They also provide access to contacts with companies that act as mentor during the project. The municipality provides a small financial aid and the necessary permits. The annual cost is SEK 5,460,000 (€ 605,000).

The project began in 2011 promoted by the Municipality of Skellefteå through the personnel of the Labour Market Unit. The proposal to participate in this activity for youth entrepreneurship during

108


Results

Contactdetails

the summer was offered as an alternative to the holiday activities provided by the municipality.This type of project can be transferred to other areas that have holiday activities for young people bearing in mind the features and requirements of each one, the type of company and the legislation concerning business creation. Also, institutional financial support and dissemi-nation in educational fields is required.

Follow-up studies have demonstrated a high level of satisfaction among participating youth. Many young people have also been able to use their initial capital and continue with their business after the summer. Summer Entrepreneurial activity is one of the municipality’s major initiatives to support and encourage entrepreneurship.

Leif LöfrothChief of the Labour Market Unit+46 910 735 [email protected] SteinvallEmployment Services Advisor +46 910 735 [email protected]

www.summerentrepreneur.com

109


Nombre del proyecto:ProAction

Country

Duration

Field



Briefdescription

Belgium.

The program began in 2001 and is expected to continue until the end of 2013.

Integration.

The priority public for this programme mainly consists of the following groups:

• Workers of Article 60 in the last quarter of their contract, which lasts for one year. • Young people from 18 to 25 years of age who are beneficiaries of Social Integration Income, who are in a period of labour integration internship and/or recipients of a social assistance supplement. • Beneficiaries of Social Integration Income who are registered in the FOREM and are intending to enrol in a vocational integration programme. • People without unemployment benefits because of a permanent or temporary ONEM sanction.

The number of participants in 2011 among the ten CPAS was 254. Le FOREM and the CPAS of Mons, Frameries, Saint Ghislain, Quévy, Quaregnon, Quievrain, Honnelles, Colfontaine, Boussu, Dour and Hensies.

ProAction provides information, guidance, supervision and labour integration to people with real difficulties in finding work, through individualized plans that also include the identification of occupational needs in the labour market.The goal of this programme is to establish an interconnection between these two agencies to ensure continuity of labour integration itineraries, offering complementarity through the sharing of knowledge and resources to ensure

110



Results

intensive support to improve the employability of beneficiaries.

ProAction began in 2001 with funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the association between Le FOREM and the CPAS of Mons with the following objectives:

• To provide a real, verifiable inter-institutional transition service between the CPAS and Le FOREM• To ensure continuity of the pathways for the integration of the target audience, identifying and promoting the job search process.• To allow the renewal of the social link between job seekers, regardless of their status and employment. • To get people to be autonomous in their actions of integration in the world of work.

In 2005, a Framework Agreement was reached between the Walloon Region and the CPAS Federation and Le FOREM, which has been renewed annually from that year until 2012. This agreement is part of a dynamic collaboration among the integrated services of the comprehensive vocational integration programme and reflects the will of the parties to promote synergies between the integration policies of Le FOREM and the CPAS.In view of the assessment of the work done and results achieved in previous years, the project was expanded in 2005 to the CPAS of Frameries, Quaregnon, and Saint-Ghislain Colfontaine. Moreover, the agreement has been renewed annually from 2006 to late 2012.The program consolidated its geographical spread in the region of Mons Borinage in 2006 through collaboration with the CPAS of Boussu, Dour, Quiévrain, Hensies and Honnelles, decentralizing the provision of services and support measures to these territories. In 2012, the CPAS of Quévy joined the programme.

The success rate in 2011 among the ten CPAS was 80% through 122 employment contracts, 50 returns

111


to school, 24 self-employments and 5 reorientations to FOREM or CPAS.

Florence LemaireTeam Manager+32 (0) 65 409 324 [email protected]

Contactdetails

112


113


Conclusions9

114


Conclusions

The work carried out during the preparation of this manual has meant a closer approximation to reality in the areas of employment, education and social services in the territories of the Euroempleo Alcalá la Real project partners. Furthermore, this study has allowed the development of transnational networks between the partners involved for the purpose of joint collaborations in the future, and offers possibilities of vertical transfer of the practices in the relevant areas.

During the study visits, it has been observed in some areas that local agents are given more freedom to use the integration measures and tools they consider to best suit local needs although they may be promoted at national or regional level. This view is in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, which aims to promote local initiatives and dynamics tending towards the decentralization of active employment policies, considering local needs and creating specific synergies through related policies and in collaboration with the various parties interested.

Meanwhile, it was found that one of the key elements in the success of some of the active employment policies is a high degree of collaboration, interaction and communication between the areas of employment, education and social services through joint programmes and projects where the individual is the centre of the action. This integrated approach has meant a significant improvement in the job placement outcomes and employability of these areas.

As for the difficulties encountered during the preparation of this manual for the applicability of the selected good practices, we highlight the diversity existing among countries with regard to the distribution of administrative powers in the areas discussed, with some being a factor to be taken into account by the Public Administration.

115


Some other aspects to consider and which have been mentioned in the description of the participating partners are the economic cycle, the configuration of the existing business fabric and the labour market situation. Despite the implementation of numerous programmes for guidance, training and placement, the employability of participants depends on their socio-economic background.

To conclude, we believe that the study of initiatives, experiences and methodologies to improve employability, especially for those furthest from the labour market, will remain under consideration for future projects due to its high relevance.

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References10

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• Oficina Comercial y Económica de España in Estocolmo. Guía país Suecia. Estocolmo: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, 2010.

• Oficina Comercial y Económica de España in Roma. Guía país Italia. Roma: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, 2011.

• Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD). [online]. “Economic Survey of Sweden”. [Consultation: 25 August 2011]. Available on: http://www.oecd.org/eco/economicsurveyofsweden2007.htm

• Pinto Cueto, Luisa. “Currículo por competencias: necesidad de una nueva escuela”. Revista de Educación y Cultura. 1999, núm. 43, p. 10-17.

• PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Buenas prácticas en Europa para la igualdad de oportunidades en el acceso al mercado laboral. Sevilla: Consejería de Inno-vación, Ciencia y Empresa, 2004.

• Rodríguez Cuba, Javier [online]. “Índice de empleabilidad de los jóvenes”. Fundación Carolina. Serie Avances de Investigación, núm. 32. [Consulta-tion: 14 June 2011].Available on: http://www.oei.es/pdf2/empleabilidad_jovenes_carolina.pdf

• Spencer, Lyle M.; Spencer, Signe M. Competence at work: models for superior performance. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1993.

• Vossio, Raimundo B. “Certificación y normalización de competencias. Orígenes, conceptos y prácticas”. Boletín CINTERFOR. 2002, vol. 152.

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• Weinberg, Daniel. “Formación profesional, empleo y empleabilidad”. In: Foro Mundial de Educación. Debate Temático: La formación profesional y la ilusión de la empleabilidad (Porto Alegre, julio de 2004).

Electronic Resources Directory:

Consultations between 3 May 2011 and 20 de August 2011.

• CIA-The world factbook [online]. Available on: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html• Countries of Europe [online]. Available on: http://www.countries-of-europe.com• Employment Office in Sweden [online]. Available on: http://www.arbetsformedlingen.se• Eurostat [online]. Available on: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home• Federal Employment Agency in Germany [online]. Available on: http://www.arbeitsagentur.de• Kassel District [online]. Available on: http://www.landkreiskassel.de• Kassel Distric Jobcenter [online]. Available on: http://www.jobcenter-landkreis-kassel.de• Lohfelden City Council [online]. Available on: http://www.lohfelden.de• Map of Italy [online]. Available on: http:// www.map-of-italy.org• Municipality of Skellefteå [online]. Available on: http://www.skelleftea.se• National Employment Office in Belgium [online]. Available on: http://www.onem.be/• Public Centres for Social Action of Frameries[online]. Available on: http://www.frameries.be/vie-communale/c-p-a-s/cpas• Regional Employment Office [online]. Available on: http://www.sardegnalavoro.it• Spanish Employment and Social Security Offices [online]. Available on: http://www.empleo.gob.es/es/mundo/consejerias/index.htm• Subregional Committee for Employment and Training in Mons [online]. Avail-

able on: http://www.csefmons.be• Wikimedia [online]. Available on: http://www.commons.wikimedia.org• Wikipedia [online]. Available on: http://www.wikipedia.org• World Geographics [online]. Available on: http://www. world-geographics.com• Zonu. World Maps and Satellite Photos [online]. Available on: http://www.zonu.com

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handbook of good practices for enhancing employability

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alcal la real

list of good practices

good practices definition6

field of employment

selection of good practices6

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innovation criterion7

results criterion7