Innovative Interventions Focused on Long-term Unemployed People and Immigrants Patrycja Wojciechowska-Wachuła, Bartosz Szurmiński Voivodship Labour Office in Olsztyn Prague, 20th September, 2012

2 Long- term unemployment in Poland Definition: Long-term unemployment refers to the number of people with continuous periods of unemployment extending for a year or longer, expressed as a percentage of the total unemployed.

3 Unemployment rate in Poland 2009 – 8,1 %

4 Unemployment rate in Poland 2010 – 9,1 %

5 Unemployment rate in Poland 2011 – 9,3%

6 Unemployment rate in Poland

7 Long- term unemployment in Poland (% in total number of unemployed)

8 Structure of long- term unemployment in Poland Sex Women/Men

9 Structure of long- term unemployment in Poland Age

10 Structure of long- term unemployment in Poland Education

11 Structure of long- term unemployment in Poland Work seniority

12 Structure of long- term unemployment in Poland Duration of unemployment in months

13 Measures focused on long-term unemployed people The project entitled „Individual employment paths” is a reply to an intensified problem of vocational inactivity among the population within the working age. The main goal of the project was to design and test an innovative method of diagnosing, supporting and making a long-lasting comeback to the labour market by beneficiaries who faced various obstacles in terms of age and health issues.

14 Measures focused on long-term unemployed people The new Supported Employment Model for people over 45 years of age – The Hot Potato Age is a result of cooperation between Elblag’s Disability Advisory Council (ERKON) and the foreign partner: Kynnys ry Turun toimikunta (NGO from Finland) which was only possible thanks to funding from the ESF under the Human Capital Operational Program in Poland.

15 Measures focused on long-term unemployed people The name of the model refers to a problem which is handed over from one person to another without solving it. Being such Hot Potatoes many people who are unemployed are unable to come back to the labour market and often find themselves between partial support from different institutions. Support which doesn’t address their real problems.

16 Measures focused on long-term unemployed people The new model includes a holistic diagnosis of the individual with a special focus on their health. Only people who, in spite of their disabilities, are able to work start the program. The rest are to undergo rehabilitation in order to eliminate health obstacles in future. Participants of the project receive necessary vocational training, psychological support, and support from a job coach.

17 Measures focused on long-term unemployed people Actions taken and results achieved proved the model highly effective in terms of sustained employment of the long-term unemployed and handicapped beneficiaries (80 % participants gained employment, 90% beneficiaries are still employed after 15 months of last intervention) and the model itself turned out to be a new and effective tool which will now be tested on a larger scale by several Public Employment Services in Poland.

18 Thank you for attention Voivodship Labour Office in Olsztyn ul. Głowackiego Olsztyn, POLAND tel