)The aim of the project contributes to creating sustainable jobs and helps the long-term unemployed people to find a new application. The project promotes natural employment locally. The key part of the project is a community mapping and identification of development potential of selected sites. The project in selected areas of each county has a team of professionals from various fields: anthropology, urban planning and urban design, natural science, social geography and more.
Their task is to describe the social structure of the population and to understand the deeper relationships between individuals and groups in the community. The team of specialists for the development of the area is also devoting to identification of a long-term resources that has been unused or neglected which are contained in a specific environment of settlements and cultural landscapes.
In parallel with the analysis of individual work environments there are ongoing consultations with the long-term unemployed people, which will follow with their special training for new jobs emerging from community mapping and identification of selected sites.
Target group:
unemployed persons
Related documents:
Catalogue of Educational activities describes the courses that are offered to participants of a career counseling in the project Work habits.
Catalogue of Counsellors is an online tool enabling linking between unemployed, counsellors and employers.
)Project Specific measures on a labour market is an unique methodology because its activities make a complete “step by step” process of how to help unemployed people get back on a labour market and also keep the job they will find. It starts with recruiting those people, interviewing them, finding the right employers that would offer the right jobs for the candidates. It also involves counselling for both sides, the job seekers and the candidates-employers. This methodology is still ongoing (since 2010) and can be successfully used anywhere.
Target:
Project Specific measures on a labour market is a very successful ongoing project and its activities will increase the employment and employability of people who are disadvantaged in the labour market (youngsters, parents with little children).
Application:
Part of the project are clients (candidates and job seekers) that are under 25 years old as well as employers that will be able to establish a new job for these clients. For each new job will the employer get wage subsidies for 6 months from the project budget.
Related documents:
)Purpose:
Persons from disadvantaged groups often select job ads themselves, when looking for suitable job offers. Therefore, it is important to have a clear, accessible job ad, mentioning that people from disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply for the job.
Research shows that a realistic picture of the job ("realistic job preview”) as well as in the job ad, contributes to a low quitting %, higher satisfaction and faster settlement in the new job. Therefore, it is better to give a realistic picture of the job as it will have more beneficial effects in long-term.
Scope:
Making an attractive job ad for people from disadvantaged groups, is a very important step. But it is not the only step needed to employ people from disadvantaged groups. In addition, the job application responses must be made accessible, the recruitment period must be made accessible and the job ad needs to be spread through a wider network of recruitment channels.
Definitions:
“Rebound”-phenomenon in discrimination:
When you only focus on avoiding direct and indirect discrimination during recruitment and drop the focus during selection, the risk exists that the discrimination, if present, will most likely move to later stages in the recruitment, where the discrimination will be more difficult to detect. In literature about this topic, this is described as the “rebound”-phenomenon in discrimination. This phenomenon causes an even bigger negative impact on the candidate's feeling who, against habit, thinks he will get the job, but ultimately ends up not getting the job.
Method - Download here: (pdf format)
)A performance cycle is an important tool in the collaboration between managers and employees.
The main goal of the cycle is to contribute to the achievement of desired results and stimulation of motivation of all employees, by means of coaching and clear agreements (agreements on expectations and further development of competences [knowledge, skills and attitudes]).
Additionally it clarifies the contents of the evaluation interview for the employees.
And finally the cycle ensures that every individual employee contributes to the realization of the team and company goals.
Phase 1: draw up of a job profile
An accurate job description clarifies many things. (Future) Employees know what is expected of them and as a company, you have a clear view on required competences of (future) employees. In a job description job content and job requirements are determined. You’re obliged to reflect on the required professional knowledge, skills, qualities, experience and so on, of the ideal person for the job.
Phase 2: conducting a job description interview (planning meeting).
During this interview/meeting the employee discusses his job description with his superior. You (employee) get the chance to ask for clarification regarding things that are not clear to you and you can get a clear picture of what is expected from you. You also have the opportunity to discuss in what way the tasks you perform, are important for the achievement of the goals of your team, department and company. At the same time your manager gets a clear picture of your professional expectations and needs. As a result of the interview, certain specific elements can be added to the job description.
Phase 3: draw up of a PDP (personal development plan)
The PDP is a supported process aimed at self-reflection.
A PDP is a “development contract” between employer and employee. It results in a continuous learning process, taking in account:
Phase 4: conducting a performance interview
The Employee and his superior must ensure the realization of agreed upon targets during the whole cycle. Problems have to be tackled efficiently and as soon as possible, important changes in the job description have to be addressed, feedback must be given and the performance of the employee has to be discussed, all of this continuously.
It’s recommended to take sufficient time for a formal job performance interview. It is possible to do several job performance interviews during one cycle.
Phase 5: conducting an evaluation interview.
At the end of the cycle the evaluation interview takes place. The evaluation criteria are the job description, and the personal individual performance and/or development objectives of the employee, that have been discussed during the planning meeting and one or more job performance interviews afterwards.
As an employee, it’s important to make a distinction between your results and your personal contribution to these results, as it is possible that you haven’t achieved your performance goals because of external conditions/factors.
After the interview, the superior of the employee draws up a report in which positive and “action” points (points of improvement) are described. In addition the report mentions possible career opportunities and development/training needs and also to which degree the employee has achieved his professional goals.
)Optimizing the existing program or development and implementation of a new employee (welcome and) orientation program. Providing a warm and well-structured welcome, has many advantages:
A professionally developed new employee orientation program, including the appointment of a mentor, is the best guarantee for the successful integration of new employees. In addition it’s legally obliged (in Belgium). Therefore the company will have to gather information concerning new employee welcoming and orientation programs/procedures, mentorship and the surrounding legal framework.
The procedure applies to:
be worked out in different stages:
Phase 1: an information phase;
Phase 2: a preparation phase;
Phase 3: a “welcome” phase;
Phase 4: an integration phase.
Phase 1: information phase
The employer investigates which information is already available. Based on his analysis he will gather further information needed to optimize the new employee orientation program.
Phase 2: preparation phase
The welcoming of new employees doesn’t start when they are signing their contract.
It starts earlier, during the preparation of the recruitment (when putting together the job vacancy, before, during and after the job interview, during further contacts before the first working day, etc.)
Phase 3: welcome phase
In the welcome phase the new employee is introduced to his new job. In this phase a lot of (specific) information is provided.
Phase 4: integration phase
In this phase a mentorship system is installed. The new employee is intensively coached by an experienced employee, while learning his/her new job and acquiring all the necessary skills. The ultimate goal is that the new employee is able to function independently. The mentor provides job technical and personal (job related) support/advice.
)Objective/target:
Provide opportunities to getting on the formal VET qualification pathway for people with disabilities, members of disadvantaged groups and other groups of potential VET users which need special attention and specifically-designed qualification programmes (such pre-conditions are not necessarily disability-related).
Field of application:
Institutions and organisations working with people with SEN and specific needs (not necessarily disability-related), incl. Companies, which embark on situations where standardised training and qualification programmes are not suitable.
Such situations arise when NTC/Adam Smith College of Management identifies that there is a particular training/qualification need for a relatively large number of people, which can not be addressed by any of the VET qualifications currently delivered in Bulgaria. As the process of accrediting a new qualification is long, expensive and not always possible, especially for SEN learners, a new pathway has been tried and tested. It provides formally-accredited vocational qualifications, which are EQF referenced, and for which the accreditation process takes place, subject to a coordinated effort, in the UK.
Steps:
Related documents:
TLM (UK), an official accredited certification organisation:
Descriptors defining levels in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF):
OFQUAL Regulation
General Conditions of Recognition
Rules and regulations that all awarding organisations and their qualifications must meet.
OFQUAL Regulation
Qualification and component levels.
Rules and guidance for assigning levels to qualifications and qualification components.
)Objective/target:
Provide information and guidance for employers on reducing their taxable income with the full amount of the paid social security and health insurance in relation to employing a person with a permanent labour disability for the first 12 months of their employment.
Field of application:
Employers who wish to reduce their taxable income based on employing a person with permanent labour disability for at lest 12 months.
Steps:
Related documents:
Application forms and other required documents are being published annually on www.nap.bg (Bulgarian National Revenues Agency); they should be downloaded and used ad hoc.
)Objective/target:
Provide information and guidance for employers on possible tax refunds (social security, health insurance) in relation to employing a person with a permanent labour disability and who was previously unemployed.
Field of application:
Employers who wish to obtain tax deductions/refunds based on employing a previously unemployed person with permanent labour disability of 30% of the payments made under these headings.
Steps:
Related documents:
Application forms and other required documents are being published annually on www.nap.bg (Bulgarian National Revenues Agency); they should be downloaded and used ad hoc.
)Objective/target:
Provide information and guidance for employers and disabled employees on the possible grant funding for workplace accessibility.
Field of application:
Employers who wish to obtain grant financing for making the workplace of a person with permanent labour disability accessible.
Steps:
Related documents:
Application form, Budget proposal, Assessment form
)Objective/target:
Provide information and guidance for employers and disabled employees on the possible grant funding for workplace adjustment.
Field of application:
Employers who wish to obtain grant financing for re-fitting the workplace of a person with permanent labour disability.
Steps:
Related documents:
Application form, Budget proposal, Assessment form
)Objective/target:
Provide information and guidance for employers and disabled employees on the possible grant funding for equipping the workplace (furniture and production equipment).
Field of application:
Employers who wish to obtain grant financing for equipping the workplace of a person with permanent labour disability to make sure he/she can perform his/her expected duties.
Steps:
Related documents:
Application form, Budget proposal, Assessment form
)
This instrument is designed to measure unemployed who have difficulties to find a job in the general job market who are potential entrepreneurs. It is an international instrument with the English name " Scale2Skill ", which is used to measure so-called Soft Skills for different occupations in various sectors, but all focused on entrepreneurship.
11 soft skills competencies can be distinguished, which are important for entrepreneurs. As a result, there are also 11 items to find in this training program. Each competence is developed in two levels (module 1 and 2): a medium level and high level. Each of the 11 competencies described in a few sentences (questions).
A participant can use this instrument to assess for themselves whether or not they reach a specific expertise on a particular subject. The result is a completed questionnaire, which is compared with the 2 standards: the average level and the high level. The results can be displayed in different types of graphs within this instrument. In conclusion, this instrument is useful to see if the participant needs training and on what specific module they should focus on. The instrument is not freely accessible, but can be made available by PRO WORK.
