Fundacja FUNDUSZ WSPÓŁPRACY

The Development Partnership's objective is to remove obstacles encountered by small and medium enterprises when attempting to use alternative forms of employment, such as temporary employment, and facilitate entry or re-entry of people discriminated for gender, age or lack of experience to the labour market. The Project will be delivered in the area of Podkarpackie Voivodship with contributions from scientific research institutions, associations, regional development agencies and labour offices.

Under Activity 1, the Development Partnership carried out in-depth studies of the labour market and economic situation of the voivodship. The studies have revealed that the labour market is lacking flexibility and the rate of unemployment is very high there due to the mixed agricultural/industrial nature of the voivodship and a low share of urban population. Small and medium enterprises account for a majority of potential employers. High costs of labour discourage them from creating new jobs, even if they face temporary staff shortages. On the other hand, labour offices have registered mainly those job seekers who due to poor skills, lack of previous employment history or other similar reasons would hardly find a job even at a more absorptive market. Considering the needs of employers and the largest group of the unemployed, new system solutions have to be worked out so that employers are encouraged to employ temporary workers.

Final beneficiaries of the Project are 250 people in danger of exclusion for inability to perform in the labour market (young people aged 18-26, women, those over 45). The second group of beneficiaries are approx. 100 companies from the SME sector.

Based on extensive surveys of employers, knowledge of Partnership's experts and having consulted the beneficiaries, Activity 2 will involve development of 10 standards describing skills required for 10 typical administrative/commercial positions. They will help to define in more detail the requirements expected to be met by potential employees. This will enable them to compare their existing skills and competencies with standards. Individual training paths will be used to bridge educational gaps.

A professional job counsellor will help the beneficiaries to identify their potential, strengths and weaknesses. Training courses will be modular to ensure that beneficiaries have flexibility when choosing the courses they need. The Project will enable them to acquire new skills, strengthen their occupational status or, if necessary, to retrain. A certificate issued by training providers will testify that the declared skills are consistent with standards. The certification system will be agreed with potential employers.

To provide for equal employment opportunities of the beneficiaries, they will be paid training stipends, travelling expenses associated with courses will be subject to a refund, while providing care to their dependants.

Twenty five best performers at the courses will be hired for a period of 6 months - the Partnership will subsidise their job positions and employer reports will contribute to the description of best practice.

In addition to learning new skills and improving or updating existing ones, the beneficiaries will improve their communication skills. The participation in the Project will give them an opportunity to show initiative on the labour market and choose training courses on their own.

Working on temporary basis will enable graduates to gain job experience while learning, women will be able to combine employment with child care and household management, while those approaching retirement age may reintegrate with the labour market. Thanks to a transparent set of requirements, employers will have more flexibility in employment management depending on actual needs (leaves, big orders) by hiring additional workers, while avoiding costs associated with their training.

In order to be credible, the pilot project will be delivered in various local environments: in traditionally rural areas (Rzeszów, Leżajsk and Krosno Poviats), urban areas (municipalities of Rzeszów, Krosno and Mielec) and in specific conditions of Bieszczady Mountains.

The key reproducible outcome of the planned activities will be a new methodology of establishing career path for specific job positions and promotion of modern personnel hiring approaches. Experience sharing forum, as established by the Partnership, will help to disseminate the outcomes. Central government institutions involved in employment policies, enterprise promotion associations, local governments and representatives of small and medium enterprises will be invited to the dialogue. The Development Partnership is planning to issue a publication describing the results of analyses made, new standards and tested solutions.

• System of vocational activation through temporary work, based on certification of skills