The Polis Project
POLIS: Podpora sociálně - integračních politik a služeb
The Polis Project
International Partnerships >>> Roma Employment Challenges
This international partnership ties the activities of a Slovak Developmental Partnership (DP), led by the Milan Šimečka Foundation (see below) to the POLIS project led by People in Need.
Activities of the international partnership include:
Developmental Partnership ‘Local Labor Counseling Centers – a New Service for Marginalized Groups’
The Slovak DP is led by the Milan Šimečka Foundation and includes four other local NGOs – People in Need Slovakia, Kolping Slovakia, Association of Social Field Workers, People and Perspective. The project’s main focus is on the establishment and promotion of labor counseling as a client-oriented service, promotion of discussion on discrimination in the labor market and bolstering the employment level in socially excluded communities. Project activities are scheduled till June 2007.
Main activities:
Promotion and support of labor counseling services
Establishment and development of municipal companies
Training workshops for the long-term unemployed
Supporting the employment of young people
Activities of the international partnership include:
- Brief analysis of the current situation of the target group (ethnic minorities) in both participating countries.
- Identification of best practices for Roma and immigrants’ participation in the labour markets from both countries.
- Exchange of experiences with methods, projects and programs concerning the social, professional and housing dimensions of ethnic minority integration. Each partner will send a group of practitioners to participate in on-the-job training within different organizations participating in the DPs. The experience gained will be evaluated and shared during a final session at the end of each of the training sessions.
- Setting up a website to provide information for experts and professionals based outside the two participating countries, covering the phenomenon and forms of Roma discrimination and social exclusion in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The website will contain available studies, news, research, overviews of current discussions, introductions to best practices and other materials related to the topic.
- Steering committee meetings – regular meetings of workgroups set up by both DP leaders.
- Holding a conference on transnational cooperation – within the framework of each DP a conference will be held at the end of each project where conclusions on partners' activities will be presented.
Developmental Partnership ‘Local Labor Counseling Centers – a New Service for Marginalized Groups’
The Slovak DP is led by the Milan Šimečka Foundation and includes four other local NGOs – People in Need Slovakia, Kolping Slovakia, Association of Social Field Workers, People and Perspective. The project’s main focus is on the establishment and promotion of labor counseling as a client-oriented service, promotion of discussion on discrimination in the labor market and bolstering the employment level in socially excluded communities. Project activities are scheduled till June 2007.
Main activities:
Promotion and support of labor counseling services
- Support for the labor counseling center’s activities – providing educational, operational and fundraising support for the centers
- Promotion of labor counseling services – helping to establish the service alongside other social services
- Coordination of the Network of Centers – comprising the centers and cooperating social field workers
- Bolstering the employment level in socially excluded communities in Slovakia and abroad
- Promotion of discussion on employment, discrimination and possible solutions – through workgroups, conferences and media
Establishment and development of municipal companies
- Supporting social economy-oriented enterprises managed by municipalities
- Bolstering the employment level in municipalities
Training workshops for the long-term unemployed
- Courses restoring work habits of the unemployed
Supporting the employment of young people
- Organizing activities for young people living in Roma settlements and for the boarders of reeducation schools
- Linking the education facilities with the labor counseling centers
