Promoting Active inclusion of Disadvantaged Persons Excluded from the Labour Market

Increase the activation of persons at risk of social exclusion in the labour market by improving their skills, education and qualifications.

Reference Number: EuropeAid/135-012/M/ACT/MK

Funded by: EC / Ministry of Finance (CFCD)      Duration: 15/12/2015-14/08/2017

Challenge

In recent years, promoting active inclusion of people in the weakest position on the labour market has placed a stain on policy-makers in FYROM. Although the unemployment rate in the country decreased in 2015 (in the third quarter was 25.5%, last available data by the Statistical Office), it is still high. As stressed in the National Strategy on Alleviation of Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Republic of Macedonia (p.15): ”In a similar way like in other Western Balkan countries, the labour market in the Republic of Macedonia is assessed as being insufficiently inclusive, in spite of the existing legislation in the field of working relations and equal possibilities for employment. The inclusion of certain population groups like the young and very old workers, ethnic minorities, is remaining to be a great challenge for the state, having in mind the rather high unemployment rates of these population groups”. Unemployment mostly hits disadvantaged persons who find themselves at the margins of the labour market and society.

Innovation

The overall objective of the project was to increase the activation of persons at risk of social exclusion in the labour market by improving their skills, education, qualification and facilitating their full integration into society and the labour market.

Action

The basic achievements of the project in terms of milestones include:

• 130 people belonging to disadvantaged groups have gained basic employability skills and have been brought closer to the private sector.
• 20 people went through the internship programme of the project.
• 80 professionals received training as social mentors, having developed their skills on how to provide mentoring to their beneficiaries within the SWCs and SEAs.
• More than 200 companies were informed about the value of involving people from disadvantaged backgrounds in their activities.
• A large part of the general public was sensitized about the importance of vulnerable people being included in the labour market.

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Project Partners