European Solidarity against Poverty IPA Projects in Croatia Human resources development and combating social exclusion of disadvantaged groups in access to labour market in programming period Brussels, Belgium 30 November, 2010

Croatia Zagreb Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

CONTENT I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA II - OPERATING PROGRAM HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (OP HRD) 2007 – 2009 III - REVISED OP HRD IV - OPERATING STRUCTURE HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT V - IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INCLUSION OF DISADVANTAGED GROUPS 2007 – 2009 VI - CONCLUSIONS

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA Differences in wellbeing within EU countries (GDP p/c in relation of average, 2006)

Counties – Nuts II Regions North-West Middle-East Adriatic

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA Ministry of Health and Social Welfare – coordinator of pre- accession activities of RC with EU in the area of social inclusion Joint memorandum on social inclusion of the Republic of Croatia, JIM (2007) Bi- annual National implementation plans on social inclusion (2007 – 2008 ; ) Report on the implementation of the JIM of the Republic of Croatia in 2009

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA Ministry of Economy, Labour and Enterpreneurship Croatian Central Employment Service Joint assesment of employment policy priorities of the Republic of Croatia, JAP (2008) Bi - annual National employment promotion plans (2009 – 2010) Report on the implementation of the JAP for 2009

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA JIM (2007) – basis for IPA programming period 2007 – 2009 in the field of human resources development related to social inclusion of disadvantaged groups - -Poverty and social exclusion: unemployment and relatively high rate of economic inactivity - -Key challenge: To rise the level of employment and create greater employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups in the labour market - -Persons with disabilities, persons with low educational level, unemployed youth, older persons and long-term unemployed persons, women, persons living in less developed regions, persons from minority groups (national minorities and other minority groups of disadvantaged)

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA -Active labour market policy (ALMP): targeted at lower employability prospects / longterm unemployment - -Creating conditions for the employment: targeted at the most disadvantaged groups in access to labour market that are exposed to accumulated consequences of social exclusion - -Passive measures to active forms of assistance - -Targeting regional inequalities of poverty (poverty rate in rural areas as three times poverty rates in urban areas)

I - SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICY IN CROATIA Key challenges for programming: -Insufficient data on specific groups as baseline for monitoring -Developing partnerships in programming Key challenges for project pipeline: -To approach different national strategies in project activities of regional stakeholders - -To develop partnerships in project implementation

II - OPERATING PROGRAM HUMAN RESORUCES DEVELOPMENT 2007 – 2009 Priority Axis 1 – Enhancing access to employment and sustainable inclusion in the labour market PRIORITY AXIS 2 – Reinforcing social inclusion of people at a disadvantage Measures to increase the employability of disadvantaged persons and assist their access to the education and labour market: 2.1. Supporting access to employment by disadvantaged groups 2.2. Supporting access to education by disadvantaged groups Priority Axis 3 – Enhancing human capital and employability Priority Axis 4 – Technical assistance

III – REVISED OP HRD 2007 – 2011 (TO BE ADOPTED) PRIORITY AXIS Supporting access to employment by disadvantaged groups 2.2. Supporting access to education by disadvantaged groups 2.3. Development of social services to improve employment opportunities

Value of projects on social inclusion within OP HRD

IV – OPERATING STRUCTURE HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT Operational / Programme level / BROP The Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship Priority / Measure level /BRPM The Ministry of Science, Education and Sports The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Project / operation level Implementing body (Contracting Authority) The Croatian Employment Service The Agency for Vocational Education and Training

Service and Grant beneficiaries for the benefit of target groups Servis beneficiaries: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Social Welfare Institutions, Central Croatian Employment Service with Regional Agencies Grant beneficiaries: public / private institutions / organizations / NGOs in the field of employment, social inclusion and human resource development

Agreement on Cooperation on national level Agreed in May 2009 between Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Central Croatian Employment Service to ensure cooperation and objectives achievement of projects within OP HRD in the field of social inclusion of disadvantaged groups and their integration to the labour market

V - IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INCLUSION OF DISADVANTAGED GROUPS November 2010

V - IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INCLUSION OF DISADVANTAGED GROUPS Fostering Effective Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into the Labour Market (PWD) Objective: to promote social inclusion of persons with disabilities and their integration to the labour market. Purpose: to increase employability of persons with disabilities and assist their access to the labour market through developing active labour market measures on the regional level.

End 2009, Croatian Employment Service, Statistics, PWD Number of unemployed persons registered Number of unemployed persons with disability registered Share of persons with disabilities in total registered unemployed 2,13 % Number of unemployed persons with disabililties longer than 5 years 2.230

V - IMPLEMENTATION PWD Servis contract: Started January 2010, 14 months duration (11 months in implementation), contract value 956,300 Euros Results to be achieved: - -Strengthened capacities of the local stakeholders to address and solve problems of persons with disabilities in their access to the labour market. - -Labour market agents strengthened in providing diverse techniques in promotion and support of employment of the persons with disabilities. - -One-stop-shop (a national web portal) for provision of information and other services to unemployed persons with disabilities designed and operating; - -Public campaign on promoting employability of the persons with disabilities and web portal carried out.

V - IMPLEMENTATION PWD Grant contract: Start December 2010, Number of contracts: 12, 12 months, contract value Euros - -Tailored made measures to the specific needs of persons with disabilities who are members of the following target groups: - -long-term unemployed persons with disabilities (more than 1 year); - inactive persons with disabilities; - employed persons with disabilities; - unemployed persons with disabilities from counties with the highest unemployment rates - potential employers of persons with disabilities.

V - IMPLEMENTATION PWD Grant contract: - -Projects aiming on development and provision of education, training and work-practice programmes adapted to the specific needs of persons with disabilities; - Projects aiming at raising awareness on possibilities and advantages of employing persons with disabilities.

V - IMPLEMENTATION Women in the labour market (WLA) Objective To increase the employability of disadvantaged groups of women and assist their access to the labour market. Purpose To support development and implementation of more effective active labour market policy and tailor made methods of work targeting disadvantaged groups of women in the labour market taking into account gender mainstreaming principles.

Women in the labour market CES Monthly Statistics Bulletin October 2010 Population Labor force Employed Registered unemployment rate16,9 % Male unemployment rate14,6 % Female unemployment rate19,5 %

V - IMPLEMENTATION WLA Servis contract: Started September 2010, 18 months duration (3 months in implementation), contract value Euros Results to be achieved: -Gender sensitive and tailored made active labour market measures targeting disadvantaged groups of women developed and promoted on regional and national level. - New approach based on the mutual cooperation between Croatian Employment Service and Centres for Social Work in delivering services targeted at disadvantaged groups of women introduced.

V - IMPLEMENTATION WLA Grant contract: Grant contract – Number of contracts 18; Start November 2010, 12 months, contract value 2.017,480 Euros Tailored made measures to the specific needs of disadvantaged groups of women who are members of the following target groups: 1. unemployed women over 40; 2. long-term unemployed women (more than 1 year); 3. inactive women receiving or not social benefits; 4. single mothers inactive or unemployed for more than 6 months; 5. unemployed women from counties with the highest unemployment rates; 6. unemployed women belonging to national minorities with the focus on Roma minority.

V - IMPLEMENTATION WLA Grant contract: - -Projects aiming to develop and implement innovative actions that can raise the level of employability and create greater employment opportunities for the disadvantaged groups of women in the labour market; - -Projects aiming to promote gender equality in tackling unemployment and social exclusion taking into account gender differences in policy formulation and implementation; - Projects aiming to strengthen motivation and improve knowledge and skills of the long-term unemployed women who are at the risk of social exclusion through clearly targeted training courses, internships, job couching in order to facilitate their access to employment.

V - IMPLEMENTATION Establishing Support in Social Integration and Employment of Disadvantaged and Marginalised Groups Objective - To promote social inclusion of long-term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries by supporting their access to the labour market. Purpose - Development of a client based approach in the access of long-term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries to the labour market, by strengthening inter-sectoral and inter-institutional cooperation of relevant stakeholders and improving the quality of services of Centres for Social Welfare. Preparation of long-term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries for the labour market integration.

Social Welfare Beneficiaries (2008) Population Croatia The share of permanent social assistance beneficiaries in the population 2,1 % The share of unemployed people capable to work among permanent social assistance beneficiaries 43,3 % Share of refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees of unemployed and able-bodied beneficiaries of permanent social assistance 2 %

Homelessness 31 December 2009: 416 homeless persons of which 48 women recorded in Croatia JIM Conference, Sources of Income Formal job Grey economy Welfare/ pension Friends/ relatives

V - IMPLEMENTATION Support Servis contract: Started March 2010, 22 months duration (9 months in implementation), contract value 1.399,050 Euros Results to be achieved: - -Strengthened inter-sectoral and inter-institutional cooperation in the field of social welfare and employment. - Improved quality of services of Centres for Social Welfare related to the labour market access of long-term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries.

V - IMPLEMENTATION Support Grant contract: Start December 2010, Number of contracts: 16; 12 months, contract value 1.500,000 Euros Target group: the long-term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries / members of vulnerable groups of 1. people with disabilities, 2. refugees and displaced persons, 3. members of national minorities, 4. older unemployed people, 5. the homeless, 6. drug addicts, 7. victims of domestic violence or 8. former inmates

V - IMPLEMENTATION Support Grant contract - -Project aiming at reinforcement of social inclusion of the long- term unemployed social assistance beneficiaries through increasing motivation for participation in the labour market, encouraging participation in community actions and increasing employability. - Project aiming at the promotion of social inclusion through raising public awareness on antidiscrimination issues in the work place.

CONCLUSIONS - -Disadvantaged groups (especially people with disabilities and women) are significantly adressed by national measures to improve their access to employment - -IPA OP HRD continues with measures of added value to national measures - In addition, IPA OP HRD introduced service and grant shemes aiming to improve both practical models of collaboration between competent services and local active employment policy initiatives particularly concerning the social assistance beneficiaries

CONTACT MIRJANA RADOVAN, MA HEAD OF DEPARTMENT FOR PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EU PROGRAMMES SOCIAL WELFARE DIRECTORATE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE KSAVER 200 A ZAGREB, CROATIA