Program: Education and Employment Operational Program 2021-2027
Background: European Social Fund+
Priority: P1. Modernization of labor market institutions
Specific objective: ESO4.2_Modernize labor market institutions and services to assess and anticipate skills needs, provide prompt and personalized assistance and support labor market matching, transitions and mobility
Operation:
Strengthening social dialogue and partnerships for employment and training, including with the participation of civil society
Project title: “ACTIVE MEASURES TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE LABOR MARKET”
SMIS code: 300609
The importance of integrating disadvantaged people into the labor market
In Romania, disadvantaged people encounter difficulties in entering the labor market, and their number is alarming. The risk of poverty or social exclusion was 32%, in 2023, corresponding to a number of six million people.
Vulnerable categories are the most exposed to the risk of poverty and social exclusion, and strategies are needed for their integration into the work environment. It is important that disadvantaged people find a job, taking into account that they face problems that need to be solved urgently, such as lack of housing, absence of family, difficulties in childcare, lack of access to education/training or domestic violence . Thus, finding a job is of vital importance for disadvantaged people.
However, these people hardly manage to become active in society due to a number of factors. If we talk about the categories of people with disabilities, one of the biggest problems is represented by the fact that employers must ensure that their locations are accessible. This is one of the reasons why many companies do not recruit people with disabilities, despite the facilities offered by the state.
However, employers must take all the necessary measures to allow a person with disabilities to have access to employment, a fact that will generate a positive impact for society, but will also be reflected in the companies’ performance.
People with disabilities need to find the right job and it is extremely important that they succeed in this, bearing in mind that the time they are inactive in the labor market could cause them to lose their skills. Thus, they must identify ways to use their skills in a productive manner. At the same time, being part of a team will give them a sense of belonging and balance.
Another significant benefit of employing people with disabilities and the disadvantaged in general is represented by the fact that they meet new people and build relationships. When people with disabilities can interact with others at their workplaces or at volunteer sites, social skills improve considerably.
The workplace also gives them the satisfaction of having demonstrated their potential to employers. In order to ensure the integration of people with disabilities into the workforce, employers must undertake several specific measures and adapt workplaces so that they become accessible, provide new technologies and assistance devices, tools and equipment that allow for people with disabilities to obtain and maintain a job, but also to ensure adequate training and support.
Approximately 100 million people in the European Union live with a certain form of disability and only half of them are employed, compared to 3 out of 4 in the case of people without disabilities, according to data published by the European Commission.
– 28.4% of people with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 17.8% of people without disabilities.
– Only 29.4% of people with disabilities obtain a university degree, compared to 43.8% of people without disabilities.
– 52% of people with disabilities feel discriminated against.
The European Union and its member states are committed to improving the social and economic situation of people with disabilities, based on the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
Principle 17 of the European Pillar of Social Rights emphasizes that people with disabilities have the right to income support that ensures a dignified life, to services that allow them to participate in the labor market and in society, and to an adapted working environment needs.
Material created within the project ACTIVE MEASURES FOR INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE LABOR MARKET”, SMIS Code: 300609
The project is co-financed by the European Union, from the European Social Fund+ through the Education and Employment Operational Program 2021-2027
For additional details related to the project, you can contact the Association for Social Involvement, Education and Culture (ASISED).
E-mail: [email protected], telephone: 0784.529.194
