1. Germany’s Regional Unemployment Solutions – Good Practice Examples Seminar: “Effectice Regional Unemployment Solutions” in Jekabpils / Valmiera 24 th / 25 th March 2014 Joachim Ossmann, Chairman of the board, Employment Agency Schwandorf

2. Seite 2 Agenda ●Support in placement process ●Measures for unemployed persons in general ●Specific measures for disabled unemployed persons ●Specific measures for young persons ●Specific measures for employed persons Practical support and measures by the Employment Agency to reduce regional unemployment

3. Seite 3 ●Databank research on a federal level- „Jobbörse“ in www.arbeitsagentur.de (3,2 Mio profiles of applicants, 745.000 vacant jobs, 265.000 vacant traineeships)www.arbeitsagentur.de ●Publication of vacant jobs and applicants profiles in internet ●Preperation and conduction of assessment centers in accordance with employer ●Preparation and conduction of information events with potential applicants Support in placement process

4. Seite 4 ●Salary subsidies ►Aim: enhance job opportunities of unemployed persons that don’t match the required job profile for personal reasons ►Grants: up to 50 % of salary ►Duration: up to 12 months (up to 36 months for persons older than 50 years) ► Specific regulation: employer has to prolong employment for the same time as the granted period ●Training course ►Aim: enhance skill level in order to improve job opportunities and reduce risks of unemployment (ideally by obtaining a vocational certificate) ►Grants: training fees, travelling expenses, expenses for external accomodation and board, expenses for child care, unemployment benefit is paid through ►Specific requirements: grant is allowed if person is unemployed or threatened by unemployment and lacks a vocational qualification or possesses a vocational certificate that dates back more than 4 years Measures for unemployed persons in general(1)

5. Seite 5 ●Test employment ►Aim: employer may test the employee without taking any risk and decide on employment later ►Grants: unemployment benefit is paid through, travel expenses ►Duration: up to 42 weeks ●Start-up grant for founders ►Aim: finish unemployment by starting a business ►Grants and duration: unemployment benefit (+ 300 €) for 6 months, another 9 months if business is carried on intensively and full-time ►Specific regulations: founders must be entitled to at last 150 days of unemployment benefit. Business plan has to be approved by an expert authority (chambers etc.) Measures for unemployed persons in general (2)

6. Seite 6 ●Salary subsidies ►Aim: see above ►Grants: up to 70 % ►Duration: up to 24 months (severely disabled persons up to 60 months, older than 55 years even up to 96 months) ●Test employment ►Aim: enhance job oppportunities by a short employment period without any risk for the employer ►Grant: entire salary ►Duration: 3 months Specific measures for disabled unemployed persons

7. Seite 7 ●Preparatory vocational training ►Aim: young persons that didn’t obtain a vocational traineeship after leaving school get an intensive education in maths, German etc. + short term traineeship in companies + social pedagogical suppport in order to start a full scale traineeship ►Grants: all fees ►Duration: up to 12 months ●Additional education during a vocational traineeship ►Aim: helping young trainees with school problems by educating in addition to vocational school (incl. social pedagogical support) in order to finish vocational training successfully ►Grants: all fees ►Duration: up to the entire traineeship Specific measures for young persons

8. Seite 8 ●Training course ►Aim: improve skill level for low qualified or older persons to avoid unemployment ►Grant: fees for training course, partially salary subsidies ►Duration: training course ►Specific regulations: person must be low skilled or older (starting from 45 years) or under 45 years if the company is an SME (small or medium sized enterprise= below 250 employees) Specific measure for employed persons

9. Seite 9 Paldies par uzmanību!