5. Creating inclusive labour markets

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The ILO Centenary Declarat(i)on¹ calls for (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets w(i)th equal opportun(i)t(i)es and equal part(i)c(i)pat(i)on for all, (i)nclud(i)ng those w(i)th d(i)sab(i)l(i)t(i)es and others (i)n vulnerable s(i)tuat(i)ons. PES have a spec(i)al role and opportun(i)ty to be at the forefront of del(i)ver(i)ng hol(i)st(i)c serv(i)ces that support and act(i)vate d(i)sadvantaged groups. By prov(i)d(i)ng targeted support to those (i)n vulnerable pos(i)t(i)ons, PES can get more people (i)nto work and th(i)s can (i)n turn contr(i)bute to boost(i)ng the labour force potent(i)al on a local, reg(i)onal and nat(i)onal perspect(i)ve.

The term ‘d(i)sadvantaged groups’ means groups that are (i)n a vulnerable place w(i)th(i)n the labour market and do not have an equal foot(i)ng compared to the rest of the populat(i)on when apply(i)ng for jobs. Groups fac(i)ng d(i)sadvantage (i)n the job market often need to overcome several barr(i)ers affect(i)ng the(i)r capac(i)ty to seek, f(i)nd and ma(i)nta(i)n work. Wh(i)le some barr(i)ers may relate to core competenc(i)es or work ab(i)l(i)ty, these are often coupled w(i)th non-employment-related challenges.²

{{(i)nfo}}
D(i)sadvantaged groups can (i)nclude:

Low-sk(i)lled adults
Older unemployed
Long-term unemployed
Homeless people, (i)nclud(i)ng young people
M(i)grants
Refugees
D(i)sabled people or those w(i)th health (i)ssues ((i)nclud(i)ng mental health)
Women return(i)ng from matern(i)ty leave
Young unemployed, part(i)cularly those w(i)th l(i)ttle work exper(i)ence
Rural populat(i)ons
Ethn(i)c m(i)nor(i)t(i)es
{{/(i)nfo}}

PES can work w(i)th other soc(i)al partners to put programmes (i)n place to help address any potent(i)al d(i)scr(i)m(i)nat(i)on and reduce labour market (i)nequal(i)t(i)es. As a result, PES’ support can help (i)nd(i)v(i)duals to enter (i)nto susta(i)nable and st(i)mulat(i)ng qual(i)ty employment. The box below outl(i)nes the key partners PES can work w(i)th.

Box 21. Key partners to work w(i)th for del(i)ver(i)ng serv(i)ces to create (i)nclus(i)ve labour market

To create (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets, PES may cons(i)der work(i)ng w(i)th the follow(i)ng types of organ(i)sat(i)ons:

NGOs
Youth organ(i)sat(i)ons
M(i)grant organ(i)sat(i)ons
D(i)sab(i)l(i)ty organ(i)sat(i)ons
Spec(i)al(i)st prov(i)ders
Educat(i)on prov(i)ders
Commun(i)ty organ(i)sat(i)ons
Employers
M(i)n(i)str(i)es, or reg(i)onal / local governments
Employer and bus(i)ness organ(i)sat(i)ons (EMBOs)
Trade un(i)ons

The table below prov(i)des an overv(i)ew of the people, processes and serv(i)ces (i)nvolved (i)n del(i)ver(i)ng serv(i)ces for creat(i)ng (i)nclus(i)ve labour market

Table 5.1 Creat(i)ng (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets: people, processes and serv(i)ces

People	Processes	Serv(i)ces
Frontl(i)ne counsellors	In(i)t(i)al assessment and referral	Act(i)ve labour market programmes
Spec(i)al(i)st support staff (e.g., youth workers)	Staff tra(i)n(i)ng	Vocat(i)onal educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng programmes
M(i)ddle-managers	Outreach and act(i)vat(i)on (relat(i)ng to young people)	Wage subs(i)d(i)es
	Subcontract(i)ng spec(i)f(i)c serv(i)ces to spec(i)al(i)st prov(i)ders	Second chance programmes

Th(i)s sect(i)on w(i)ll outl(i)ne how PES can (i)nvest (i)n the(i)r staff so that they are a valuable resource and have the knowledge to develop and del(i)ver serv(i)ces, programmes and measures for d(i)sadvantaged groups.

5.1 How can PES (i)ncrease staff awareness and knowledge?

Prov(i)d(i)ng staff w(i)th (i)nformat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng on the needs of d(i)fferent d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)s v(i)tally (i)mportant to create the cond(i)t(i)ons for well-(i)nformed frontl(i)ne counsell(i)ng and appropr(i)ate support and well-des(i)gned, appropr(i)ate support programmes. Th(i)s (i)s (i)mportant as th(i)s w(i)ll contr(i)bute to creat(i)ng the cond(i)t(i)ons for an (i)nclus(i)ve labour market, (i)n wh(i)ch all workers are able to contr(i)bute to the labour market and those who are d(i)sadvantaged are g(i)ven support to overcome any barr(i)ers.

PES staff should rece(i)ve tra(i)n(i)ng and (i)nformat(i)on so that they understand:

Why PES need to work w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups, and how th(i)s l(i)nks to w(i)der local, reg(i)onal and nat(i)onal econom(i)c pol(i)c(i)es
What d(i)sadvantaged groups can offer to enterpr(i)ses as an added value, (i)n compar(i)son to other types of jobseekers
Understand the d(i)fferences between d(i)sadvantaged groups and what d(i)fferent barr(i)ers they may face (i)n access(i)ng the labour market (e.g., access to transport, ch(i)ldcare, language barr(i)ers/ab(i)l(i)t(i)es)
Understand the poss(i)ble prov(i)s(i)on ava(i)lable to d(i)fferent d(i)sadvantaged groups, and how and when d(i)fferent prov(i)s(i)ons can be used to fac(i)l(i)tate an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual’s trans(i)t(i)on to employment.

G(i)v(i)ng staff th(i)s knowledge w(i)ll prov(i)de them w(i)th knowledge that w(i)ll help them to th(i)nk of d(i)sadvantaged groups as (i)nd(i)v(i)dual jobseekers who have someth(i)ng to offer enterpr(i)ses. Th(i)s may help PES staff , part(i)cularly frontl(i)ne counsellors, to th(i)nk beyond stereotypes and help to unlock the sk(i)lls’ potent(i)al of each (i)nd(i)v(i)dual.

Tra(i)n(i)ng to PES staff should be ongo(i)ng across the year so that (i)t (i)s not ‘one off ’ and staff are kept up to date w(i)th any new programmes, (i)n(i)t(i)at(i)ves and support serv(i)ces that can be offered to part(i)cular d(i)sadvantaged groups. In add(i)t(i)on, (i)deally tra(i)n(i)ng should be complemented w(i)th mater(i)als that staff can access at any t(i)me. For example, tra(i)n(i)ng can take place (i)n a face-to-face format (i)n each PES off(i)ce and the tra(i)n(i)ng mater(i)als can be c(i)rculated afterwards and th(i)s can be complemented w(i)th a handbook and or mater(i)als ava(i)lable onl(i)ne.

External organ(i)sat(i)ons l(i)ke non-governmental organ(i)sat(i)ons can offer expert(i)se and (i)n-depth knowledge on the needs and character(i)st(i)cs of part(i)cular groups, such as ethn(i)c m(i)nor(i)t(i)es or m(i)grants. PES can take advantage of the(i)r expert(i)se by access(i)ng wr(i)tten (i)nformat(i)on and PES can also (i)nv(i)te soc(i)al partners to del(i)ver spec(i)f(i)c awareness ra(i)s(i)ng sess(i)ons on the needs, character(i)st(i)cs and expected barr(i)ers on certa(i)n groups. Th(i)s can prov(i)de PES staff w(i)th (i)nformat(i)on on any sens(i)t(i)v(i)t(i)es, cultural norms and barr(i)ers or solut(i)ons that can ass(i)st w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups’ access to PES serv(i)ces.

PES counsellors who are at the frontl(i)ne of del(i)very serv(i)ces to jobseekers requ(i)re more (i)ntens(i)ve and ta(i)lored tra(i)n(i)ng. Th(i)s (i)s so that they are tra(i)ned to assess each jobseeker carefully, (i)nclud(i)ng any spec(i)f(i)c needs and are able to explore any barr(i)ers that they may have to part(i)c(i)pat(i)ng (i)n any programmes or the(i)r job search. Each PES counsellor should have the knowledge to prov(i)de relevant gu(i)dance, spec(i)f(i)c solut(i)ons and alternat(i)ve pathways to enter(i)ng the labour market (where and (i)f needed).

Box 22. PES staff competences (i)n d(i)sadvantaged groups³

W(i)th(i)n the EU, (i)t (i)s acknowledged that PES staff should be competent to acqu(i)re and use current knowledge of d(i)sadvantaged groups. PES staff who are able to demonstrate th(i)s are able to:

Regularly acqu(i)re and update the(i)r knowledge of d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)n the labour market
Acqu(i)re and apply the(i)r current knowledge of local/reg(i)onal/nat(i)onal labour market cond(i)t(i)ons for these d(i)sadvantaged groups, (i)n order to convey relevant (i)nformat(i)on to these cl(i)ents
Demonstrate knowledge of relevant actors, partners and programmes to support d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)n the labour market
Structure and appropr(i)ately apply th(i)s knowledge to (i)nd(i)v(i)dual cases

F(i)gure 5.1 Cycle for creat(i)ng and del(i)ver(i)ng serv(i)ces for act(i)vat(i)ng d(i)sadvantaged groups

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5.1.1 What sk(i)lls are needed by PES staff who work w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups?

PES staff who are work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups need to have some spec(i)f(i)c competences, wh(i)ch d(i)ffer to those staff who are mostly work(i)ng w(i)th other types of jobseekers or employers. Th(i)s (i)s so that staff can prov(i)de (i)ntense support, and PES can use resources effect(i)vely to place those who are furthest way from the labour market. In add(i)t(i)on, mult(i)-sk(i)lled teams are (i)mportant to ensure that teams work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups have a range of competences and areas of expert(i)se so that they are well placed to offer hol(i)st(i)c support to th(i)s target group.

The table below outl(i)nes the key competences and behav(i)oural (i)nd(i)cators, developed by the European Comm(i)ss(i)on, wh(i)ch may be a useful source of (i)nsp(i)rat(i)on and (i)nformat(i)on for PES (i)n the reg(i)on when th(i)nk(i)ng about the sk(i)ll set for PES counsellors work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups.

Table 5.2 Key sk(i)lls and behav(i)ours of staff work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups

Spec(i)f(i)c sk(i)ll	Key competences	Key behav(i)oural (i)nd(i)cators
Knowledge of d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)n the labour market	Ab(i)l(i)ty to acqu(i)re and use current knowledge of d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)n the labour market	Regularly acqu(i)re and update knowledge of d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)n the labour market (i)nclud(i)ng (but not l(i)m(i)ted to): d(i)sabled people, parents return(i)ng to work, long-term unemployed, young unemployed, older unemployed, people w(i)th spec(i)f(i)c health-related problems, unemployed w(i)th low qual(i)f(i)cat(i)ons, ethn(i)c m(i)nor(i)t(i)es/m(i)grants, etc. Acqu(i)re and apply current knowledge of local/reg(i)onal/nat(i)onal labour market cond(i)t(i)ons for these groups, (i)n order to convey relevant (i)nformat(i)on to cl(i)ents Demonstrate knowledge of relevant actors, partners and programmes to support d(i)sadvantaged groups Structure and appropr(i)ately apply knowledge to (i)nd(i)v(i)dual cases
Knowledge of labour market pol(i)cy, ALMP measures/ concepts for act(i)vat(i)on	Ab(i)l(i)ty to acqu(i)re and use current knowledge of labour market pol(i)cy, ALMP measures/ concepts for act(i)vat(i)on	Regularly acqu(i)re and update knowledge of labour market pol(i)cy (i)nclud(i)ng (but not l(i)m(i)ted to): employment protect(i)on leg(i)slat(i)on, job creat(i)on pol(i)c(i)es, soc(i)al secur(i)ty systems, work-l(i)fe balance and equal(i)ty (i)ssues, educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng systems, labour taxat(i)on and wage sett(i)ng mechan(i)sm, etc. Regularly acqu(i)re and update knowledge of ALMPs/concepts for act(i)vat(i)on (i)nclud(i)ng (but not l(i)m(i)ted to): d(i)rect job creat(i)on schemes, h(i)r(i)ng subs(i)d(i)es, bus(i)ness start-up support, (i)nternsh(i)ps, tra(i)n(i)ngs and sk(i)lls format(i)on measures, etc. Acqu(i)re and apply current knowledge of local/reg(i)onal/nat(i)onal labour market cond(i)t(i)ons (i)n relat(i)on to effect(i)veness of labour market pol(i)c(i)es, (i)n order to convey relevant (i)nformat(i)on to the cl(i)ents Structure and appropr(i)ately apply knowledge to (i)nd(i)v(i)dual cases

European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2014) ‘European reference competence prof(i)le for PES and EURES counsellors’

Case Study 10. Creat(i)ng mult(i)d(i)sc(i)pl(i)nary teams for work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged young people: The Swed(i)sh approach⁴

In Sweden, PES and mun(i)c(i)pal(i)t(i)es worked together on a spec(i)f(i)c measure, UngKOMP, wh(i)ch a(i)med to support 5,000 young people. The project spec(i)f(i)cally targeted young people who were long-term unemployed or at r(i)sk of long-term unemployment, focus(i)ng most on young people w(i)th complex needs.

To del(i)ver the measure, PES and mun(i)c(i)pal(i)t(i)es pulled together a team w(i)th d(i)fferent sk(i)lls sets and areas of expert(i)se. Th(i)s (i)ncluded employment adv(i)sors, psycholog(i)sts, educat(i)on workers and soc(i)al workers. Hav(i)ng such a team (i)n place was effect(i)ve for young people who faced complex needs as they prov(i)ded hol(i)st(i)c, coherent and (i)nd(i)v(i)dual(i)sed counsell(i)ng and support. Th(i)s meant that young people dealt w(i)th the team, rather than several agenc(i)es.

The average durat(i)on of a young person’s engagement w(i)th the mult(i)-sk(i)lled team was e(i)ght months. The UngKOMP measure started (i)n 2015 and ended (i)n March 2018 and (i)t was used (i)n 19 Swed(i)sh mun(i)c(i)pal(i)t(i)es.

5.2 How can PES plan and del(i)ver d(i)fferent measures to act(i)vate d(i)sadvantaged groups?

5.2.1 What are the key cons(i)derat(i)ons for del(i)ver(i)ng measures to d(i)sadvantaged groups?

‘Integrated’ or ‘jo(i)ned-up’ serv(i)ces refer to a sequenced organ(i)sat(i)on of var(i)ous types of support and measures to help cl(i)ents who are not job ready or face complex barr(i)ers (i)n the labour market – beyond job and employab(i)l(i)ty sk(i)lls – to secure employment.⁵

To del(i)ver eff(i)c(i)ent and effect(i)ve measures for d(i)sadvantaged groups, PES need to cons(i)der d(i)fferent aspects. These key cons(i)derat(i)ons cover the resourc(i)ng, del(i)very mechan(i)sms and needs of the target group. Th(i)s can help PES move towards del(i)ver(i)ng jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces to help people fac(i)ng complex barr(i)ers to employment to f(i)nd work and bu(i)ld on the(i)r sk(i)lls.⁶ Refl ect(i)ng on these po(i)nts (i)n the early plann(i)ng stages of new act(i)v(i)t(i)es w(i)ll contr(i)bute to more eff(i)c(i)ent and effect(i)ve act(i)v(i)t(i)es and thus a(i)d the trans(i)t(i)on of d(i)sadvantaged workers (i)nto susta(i)nable, pos(i)t(i)ve outcomes.

F(i)rstly, (i)t (i)s (i)mportant to understand the spec(i)f(i)c needs of a d(i)sadvantaged group. Wh(i)le (i)nd(i)v(i)duals w(i)th(i)n each d(i)sadvantaged group w(i)ll have sl(i)ghtly d(i)fferent needs there w(i)ll be commonal(i)t(i)es w(i)th(i)n the group. The (i)n(i)t(i)al assessment and prof(i)l(i)ng undertaken by a frontl(i)ne counsellor (as descr(i)bed (i)n Sect(i)on 3.1.2) (i)s an (i)mportant step to understand(i)ng (i)nd(i)v(i)duals’ broad needs as th(i)s can collect (i)nformat(i)on on the(i)r character(i)st(i)cs and assess what support they w(i)ll need to make steps towards employment. The frontl(i)ne counsellor should also be (i)n the pos(i)t(i)on to be able to v(i)ew the full menu of opt(i)ons of programmes and support arrangements that could be ava(i)lable to the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual, g(i)ven the(i)r c(i)rcumstances, and select the most appropr(i)ate method of support.

On a strateg(i)c level, (i)t (i)s (i)mportant for the measures and act(i)v(i)t(i)es for d(i)sadvantaged groups to be rev(i)ewed and updated on a regular bas(i)s. Th(i)s can help to (i)ncrease the qual(i)ty and relevance of ex(i)st(i)ng prov(i)s(i)on but (i)dent(i)fy any gaps (i)n prov(i)s(i)on and cons(i)der what measures and act(i)v(i)t(i)es can be (i)ntroduced. Go(i)ng forward, the challenges presented by the rap(i)dly evolv(i)ng world of work re(i)nforce the need to do th(i)s so that measures are ‘f(i)t for purpose.’

Secondly, (i)t (i)s (i)mportant for PES to th(i)nk carefully about who (i)s best placed to del(i)ver such measures. Th(i)s may (i)nvolve reach(i)ng out to organ(i)sat(i)ons outs(i)de of the PES to del(i)ver spec(i)f(i)c act(i)v(i)t(i)es as they have spec(i)al(i)st knowledge to do th(i)s. Us(i)ng spec(i)al(i)st organ(i)sat(i)ons to del(i)ver serv(i)ces may be most su(i)ted to spec(i)f(i)c groups, such as the d(i)sabled, where PES do not have (i)n-depth knowledge. In such cases, appropr(i)ate subcontract(i)ng arrangements can be put (i)n place between the PES and the organ(i)sat(i)on to del(i)ver the act(i)v(i)ty w(i)th st(i)pulated dates, agreed numbers of part(i)c(i)pants and agree(i)ng the content of the act(i)v(i)ty as well. Us(i)ng spec(i)al(i)st prov(i)ders to del(i)ver some spec(i)f(i)c serv(i)ces (i)s common (i)n some EU countr(i)es, such as France, Germany, Sweden and the UK. Th(i)s can mean that PES resources can be spent more eff(i)c(i)ently, and PES staff may be able to spend more t(i)me on other types of jobseekers. Th(i)s (i)s also a way that PES demonstrate how they are work(i)ng together w(i)th d(i)fferent organ(i)sat(i)ons across the labour market to create (i)nclus(i)ve, susta(i)nable employment.

In terms of del(i)ver(i)ng jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces for d(i)sadvantaged groups, ava(i)lable ev(i)dence shows that th(i)s (i)s often dr(i)ven by the need of serv(i)ce prov(i)ders to tackle barr(i)ers to employment (i)n parallel to those (i)n other areas, such as educat(i)on, health and hous(i)ng. Th(i)s pol(i)cy cho(i)ce (i)s a(i)med at (i)mprov(i)ng the relevance and qual(i)ty of serv(i)ces, produc(i)ng susta(i)nable outcomes and mak(i)ng more eff(i)c(i)ent use of ex(i)st(i)ng resources. Evaluat(i)ons of spec(i)f(i)c ALMPs w(i)th a strong emphas(i)s on employab(i)l(i)ty serv(i)ces conclude that (i)ntegrated serv(i)ce del(i)very (i)s part(i)cularly benef(i)c(i)al for populat(i)ons fac(i)ng obstacles to full part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n employment.⁷

L(i)nked to the (i)ssue of resourc(i)ng, PES may w(i)sh to cons(i)der (i)f some d(i)sadvantaged groups may respond better to PES (i)f they have a s(i)ngle contact person. For the PES, th(i)s offers the benef(i)ts of:

Creat(i)ng trust between the young person and contact person, and (i)nd(i)rectly the PES
Develop(i)ng (i)n-depth knowledge of an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual, the(i)r needs and the (mult(i)ple) barr(i)ers they are fac(i)ng.

Th(i)s (i)s more appropr(i)ate (i)n cases where (i)nd(i)v(i)duals have a set of complex needs and w(i)ll requ(i)re a lot of support before they are su(i)table for employment. Such groups could (i)nclude young unemployed people, long-term unemployed or older workers.

Th(i)rdly, the needs of the target group also need to be carefully cons(i)dered when plann(i)ng and del(i)ver(i)ng act(i)v(i)t(i)es and measures for d(i)sadvantaged groups. D(i)fferent d(i)sadvantaged groups may have d(i)fferent barr(i)ers and some barr(i)ers w(i)ll cut across groups, such as access to transport and car(i)ng respons(i)b(i)l(i)t(i)es. When plann(i)ng, des(i)gn(i)ng and del(i)ver(i)ng act(i)v(i)t(i)es and programmes (i)t (i)s (i)mportant to th(i)nk about the barr(i)ers but also potent(i)al solut(i)ons as to how part(i)c(i)pat(i)on can be fac(i)l(i)tated. Th(i)s can help to reduce any drop-outs and d(i)sengagement from act(i)v(i)t(i)es, thus ensur(i)ng that PES resources are eff(i)c(i)ently used.

The f(i)gure below prov(i)des an example of the w(i)de range of barr(i)ers faced by a young unemployed jobseeker and when part(i)c(i)pat(i)ng (i)n a support programme or w(i)der act(i)v(i)ty, as well as suggest(i)ons for potent(i)al solut(i)on for each barr(i)er. Some of these barr(i)ers and solut(i)ons w(i)ll also be appl(i)cable to other types of d(i)sadvantaged groups and other groups may also have add(i)t(i)onal barr(i)ers and solut(i)ons that need to be cons(i)dered. Th(i)s demonstrates the d(i)fferent aspects that PES need to cons(i)der when develop(i)ng and del(i)ver(i)ng act(i)v(i)t(i)es for d(i)sadvantaged groups.

F(i)gure 5.2 Barr(i)ers and potent(i)al solut(i)ons for a young unemployed jobseeker’s part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n a support programme/act(i)v(i)ty

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Young people have d(i)fferent needs, expectat(i)ons and l(i)fe exper(i)ences to other types of jobseekers as well as access(i)ng and d(i)gest(i)ng (i)nformat(i)on d(i)fferently to other groups. Outreach to young people and the(i)r subsequent act(i)vat(i)on (i)s v(i)tal to (i)nvest (i)n the(i)r sk(i)lls, knowledge and capac(i)t(i)es so that they can become empowered to take control of the(i)r careers (i)n the future. By act(i)vat(i)ng young people and prov(i)d(i)ng them w(i)th support w(i)th pos(i)t(i)ve trans(i)t(i)ons to work, (i)t reduces the l(i)kel(i)hood of th(i)s cohort requ(i)r(i)ng the support of PES (i)n the future.

Across d(i)fferent geograph(i)cal areas, d(i)fferent PES have tr(i)ed and tested d(i)fferent strateg(i)es and approaches to target young people. In terms of reach(i)ng out to young jobseekers, tr(i)ed and tested methods (i)nclude:

Onl(i)ne self-serv(i)ce tools
Job fa(i)rs
Mob(i)le fac(i)l(i)t(i)es (e.g., buses or roadshows to rural locat(i)ons)
Us(i)ng soc(i)al partners to reach out to d(i)scouraged young workers or unemployed jobseekers.⁸

In add(i)t(i)on, PES across the world have used a m(i)xture of Internet-based and face-to-face contact sess(i)on for offer(i)ng career gu(i)dance. The w(i)de range of d(i)fferent measures used by PES demonstrates that effect(i)ve serv(i)ces for young people requ(i)re d(i)verse approach and there (i)s no ‘one s(i)ze f(i)ts all’ when (i)t comes to young jobseekers. In fact, serv(i)ces need to be carefully targeted to the needs of (i)nd(i)v(i)duals and therefore prof(i)l(i)ng act(i)v(i)t(i)es are v(i)tally (i)mportant (i)n th(i)s process.⁹

Case Study 11. PES serv(i)ces and support for young people (i)n Uzbek(i)stan

In Uzbek(i)stan, (i)t (i)s expected that by 2030 the labour force w(i)ll grow by 3.9 m(i)ll(i)on people and (i)t w(i)ll become the f(i)fth largest workforce (i)n the trans(i)t(i)on econom(i)es of Europe and Central As(i)a. As a result, d(i)fferent measures have been (i)mplemented to enable young people’s trans(i)t(i)on to the labour market:

Organ(i)sat(i)on and del(i)very of tra(i)n(i)ng programmes to tra(i)n and re-tra(i)n young people, accord(i)ng to the sk(i)lls needed (i)n local labour markets
Quotas for enterpr(i)ses and other organ(i)sat(i)ons to h(i)re a m(i)n(i)mal number of young people
869 labour fa(i)rs have taken place enabl(i)ng 13,400 young people to enter employment
Prov(i)s(i)on of m(i)croloans, (i)n cooperat(i)on w(i)th the State Employment Promot(i)on Fund and commerc(i)al banks, to prov(i)de fund(i)ng for small projects (i)n c(i)t(i)es and outer reg(i)ons. By July 2019, a total of 36.2 b(i)ll(i)on UZS has been prov(i)ded v(i)a m(i)croloans to 2,403 (i)nd(i)v(i)duals.

Look(i)ng to the future, the Uzbek(i)stan government has establ(i)shed an Act(i)on Strategy, h(i)ghl(i)ght(i)ng f(i)ve pr(i)or(i)ty areas for development between 2017 and 2021. Creat(i)ng jobs and upsk(i)ll(i)ng the labour force (i)s an (i)mportant part of th(i)s pol(i)cy. In cooperat(i)on w(i)th the Korea Internat(i)onal Cooperat(i)on Agency, vocat(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng centres have been establ(i)shed (i)n Tashkent, Samarkand and Shakhr(i)sabz, w(i)th more (i)n the p(i)pel(i)ne. Th(i)s means that:

Young people can part(i)c(i)pate (i)n short-term profess(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng.
The prov(i)s(i)on of tra(i)n(i)ng var(i)es from reg(i)on to reg(i)on as (i)t (i)s des(i)gned around the needs of the local labour market.
Centres collaborate w(i)th local, reg(i)onal and nat(i)onal (i)ndustr(i)es to create a ‘br(i)dge’ between learners and the employers.

In add(i)t(i)on, Uzbek(i)stan (i)s work(i)ng w(i)th (i)nternat(i)onal donor organ(i)sat(i)ons to promote youth employment and f(i)nd out more about youth (i)ssues. Spec(i)f(i)cally, th(i)s (i)ncludes:

A jo(i)nt project w(i)th the UN Development Programme on ‘Promot(i)ng Youth Employment (i)n Uzbek(i)stan’ launched (i)n spr(i)ng 2019. The a(i)m (i)s to promote formal employment, espec(i)ally among young people. The three-year project w(i)ll del(i)ver measures around:

1) Support(i)ng and promot(i)ng youth employment through ALMPs, espec(i)ally college and un(i)vers(i)ty graduates, young women, return(i)ng labour m(i)grants and vulnerable groups;
2) Promot(i)on of youth entrepreneursh(i)p and bus(i)ness start-ups; and
3) Enhanced capac(i)ty of the M(i)n(i)stry of Employment and Labour, to prov(i)de serv(i)ces to promote youth employment.

A nat(i)onal study, (i)n cooperat(i)on w(i)th UNICEF, (i)s ongo(i)ng to rev(i)ew the asp(i)rat(i)ons, needs and r(i)sks of young people on the(i)r overall well-be(i)ng and ab(i)l(i)ty to exerc(i)se the(i)r r(i)ghts. Young people are asked to complete a short survey on a weekly bas(i)s us(i)ng mob(i)le phones and soc(i)al network platforms. The results w(i)ll be used to (i)mprove and (i)mplement youth pol(i)cy.

Young people who are furthest from the labour market, part(i)cularly those not (i)n educat(i)on, employment or tra(i)n(i)ng (NEET) often need to go through d(i)fferent phases before they are ready for employment. The f(i)gure below demonstrates each phase of the(i)r journey and h(i)ghl(i)ghts (i)n-house measures and measures that need collaborat(i)on w(i)th other partners.

F(i)gure 5.3 Key phases of NEET’s journeys, (i)n house measures and collaborat(i)ve act(i)ons¹⁰

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It (i)s (i)mportant for PES to regularly rev(i)ew measures and serv(i)ces that target d(i)sengaged young people, (i)nclud(i)ng NEETs, to:

Ident(i)fy what elements of ex(i)st(i)ng programmes are effect(i)ve;
New (i)ntervent(i)ons can bu(i)ld on what works;
Gaps, fragmentat(i)on and overlapp(i)ng (i)n current serv(i)ce prov(i)s(i)on can be (i)dent(i)f(i)ed; and
Serv(i)ce prov(i)ders and organ(i)sat(i)ons, su(i)table as potent(i)al partners, and spec(i)f(i)c act(i)v(i)t(i)es or (i)nputs can be (i)dent(i)f(i)ed.¹¹

The box below outl(i)nes some gu(i)del(i)nes for rev(i)ew(i)ng measures and serv(i)ce del(i)very mechan(i)sms for young people.

Box 23. ILO gu(i)del(i)nes to rev(i)ew measures and serv(i)ce del(i)very mechan(i)sms for young people¹²

The purpose of th(i)s act(i)v(i)ty (i)s to: “Ident(i)fy ex(i)st(i)ng pol(i)c(i)es, measures and serv(i)ces target(i)ng d(i)sengaged young people (i)n the country”. It (i)nvolves the follow(i)ng tasks:

Assess the extent to wh(i)ch soc(i)al (i)nclus(i)on pol(i)c(i)es have worked to (i)mprove the (i)ntegrat(i)on of young people.
Map the publ(i)c and pr(i)vate prov(i)ders that ass(i)st (i)nact(i)ve young people at nat(i)onal and local level.
Rev(i)ew the type, range and geograph(i)cal d(i)str(i)but(i)on of ex(i)st(i)ng serv(i)ces and programmes target(i)ng d(i)sengaged young people.
L(i)st the ma(i)n gaps that are brought to l(i)ght by the mapp(i)ng of pol(i)c(i)es, measures and serv(i)ce del(i)very mechan(i)sms.

5.2.1.1 How can PES reach out to young people who are furthest from the labour market?

Some groups of young people face part(i)cular challenges and barr(i)ers to access the labour market. Th(i)s can (i)nclude ch(i)ldcare, other car(i)ng comm(i)tments, lack of transportat(i)on and (i)n some cases, lack of a permanent address. Th(i)s can mean that certa(i)n groups of young people who may requ(i)re the most support do not engage w(i)th PES and they can become ‘lost’ and rema(i)n outs(i)de the system.

PES need to use ta(i)lored approaches to reach out to such groups of young people as well as other measures to ensure early act(i)vat(i)on and engagement. Us(i)ng spec(i)f(i)c approaches, PES can ensure that young people furthest from the labour market get the support they need to enter susta(i)nable employment.

Young people at r(i)sk often requ(i)re a lot of ‘hand hold(i)ng’ as they may need support to develop w(i)der transferable sk(i)lls and behav(i)ours as well as ass(i)stance w(i)th f(i)nd(i)ng employment. For example, a young person who (i)s fac(i)ng mult(i)ple barr(i)ers to employment and has had negat(i)ve exper(i)ences (i)n educat(i)on (i)n the past may not automat(i)cally trust the PES, or a person represent(i)ng the PES, and (i)s l(i)kely to lack work-related behav(i)ours. A person-centered approach can therefore help to bu(i)ld up trust w(i)th the young person and create (i)n-depth knowledge about the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual’s needs. In some countr(i)es such as L(i)thuan(i)a (see Case Study 12 below), PES counsellors have adapted a mentor(i)ng role to prov(i)de (i)ntens(i)ve support to certa(i)n target groups, (i)nclud(i)ng young people.

Box 24. T(i)ps for successful early act(i)vat(i)on and engagement of young people furthest from the labour market¹³

Or(i)entat(i)on/prof(i)l(i)ng (i)s a useful step to engage young people and get them to vo(i)ce the(i)r asp(i)rat(i)ons and (i)nterests. PES counsellors can work w(i)th the young person to prov(i)de them w(i)th real(i)st(i)c adv(i)ce about the labour market and shape the next steps – whether th(i)s (i)s work exper(i)ence, vocat(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng, apprent(i)cesh(i)ps or further educat(i)on.
Ind(i)v(i)dual act(i)on plans are a useful tool to outl(i)ne the spec(i)f(i)c steps for the young person concerned, ta(i)lored to the(i)r un(i)que s(i)tuat(i)on.
F(i)nanc(i)al support can prov(i)de a v(i)tal l(i)fel(i)ne to some groups of young people, for example to pay for transport that (i)s requ(i)red so that they can part(i)c(i)pate (i)n an ALMP.
Comb(i)nat(i)ons of counsell(i)ng, mentor(i)ng and gu(i)dance del(i)vered by spec(i)f(i)cally tra(i)ned staff are effect(i)ve.
Hol(i)st(i)c and person-centred approaches are a must. Th(i)s can help to (i)dent(i)fy the needs of the young person, strengths and areas to develop.
Trust between a young person and an adv(i)sor (i)s cr(i)t(i)cal. The young person may requ(i)re a lot of support, and (i)n turn the adv(i)sor may need some pat(i)ence.

Case Study 12. Us(i)ng mentor(i)ng for spec(i)f(i)c groups of jobseekers (i)n L(i)thuan(i)a¹⁴

The L(i)thuan(i)an PES use a mentor(i)ng programme to prov(i)de young jobseekers, long-term unemployed and jobseekers aged over 55 w(i)th ta(i)lored serv(i)ce prov(i)s(i)on. Th(i)s prov(i)des them w(i)th (i)ntens(i)f(i)ed counsell(i)ng to address the personal and profess(i)onal barr(i)ers that (i)nh(i)b(i)t the(i)r re(i)ntegrat(i)on (i)nto labour market.

Mentors are selected from PES counsellors, v(i)a an appl(i)cat(i)on process. The mentors rece(i)ve tra(i)n(i)ng from un(i)vers(i)t(i)es before they take on the role. Cl(i)ents are selected on the bas(i)s of the(i)r personal and employment h(i)story, qual(i)f(i)cat(i)ons and sk(i)lls. Mentors work w(i)th no more than f(i)ve to ten cl(i)ents at the same t(i)me, meet(i)ng them once or tw(i)ce a week. The mentor(i)ng programme lasts for s(i)x months and cl(i)ents cont(i)nue to rece(i)ve support from mentors when they have found a job. Mentors stay (i)n touch w(i)th cl(i)ents v(i)a ema(i)l, phone calls or face-to-face meet(i)ngs at least once a month.

The employment rate of young jobseekers (i)ncreased by more than 25% and by more than 15% amongst older jobseekers (i)n 2015, partly due to the mentor(i)ng programme. In add(i)t(i)on, 120 job counsellors (i)ncreased the(i)r qual(i)f(i)cat(i)ons by tak(i)ng part (i)n the tra(i)n(i)ng prov(i)ded by the programme.

5.2.1.2 What (i)s a person-centred approach and how can PES use th(i)s w(i)th young people?

Increas(i)ngly PES across the world are us(i)ng a person-centred approach to develop and del(i)ver serv(i)ces, part(i)cularly those target(i)ng young people. A person-centred approach places the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual at the centre and a package of serv(i)ces are ta(i)lored to the(i)r spec(i)f(i)c needs. Wrap around support serv(i)ces prov(i)de ongo(i)ng support to the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual so that they rece(i)ve ass(i)stance to nav(i)gate serv(i)ces, as m(i)n(i)mum. In many countr(i)es, jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces (i)s also des(i)gned w(i)th a person-centred approach (i)n m(i)nd. Th(i)s can help partners to work together to adv(i)se, support and develop hol(i)st(i)c packages that are spec(i)f(i)c to an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual’s context. Work(i)ng closely w(i)th partners to del(i)ver a person-centred approach can contr(i)bute to reduc(i)ng the r(i)sk of an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual becom(i)ng ‘lost’ from the system.

A person-centred approach has four key aspects that PES can (i)mplement:¹⁵

Prov(i)de a package of serv(i)ces that (i)nclude core serv(i)ces, such as face-to-face support, and add(i)t(i)onal ‘add-on’ serv(i)ces that are spec(i)f(i)c to needs of an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual and the barr(i)ers they are exper(i)enc(i)ng
Include of mot(i)vat(i)onal-related act(i)v(i)t(i)es (e.g., workshops, non-work-related opportun(i)t(i)es to develop transversal sk(i)lls) and psycholog(i)cal/soc(i)al ass(i)stance, wh(i)ch are carefully selected and ta(i)lored to the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual’s spec(i)f(i)c needs
A des(i)gnated case worker, wh(i)ch supports (i)nd(i)v(i)duals through the(i)r journey, gu(i)des them through d(i)fferent serv(i)ces and support. Th(i)s could be from a ded(i)cated youth team (i)n the PES. Ideally, the contact should cont(i)nue once the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual enters employment, part(i)cularly for those who have more complex needs.
Demonstrate to (i)nd(i)v(i)duals that they can contr(i)bute to (i)ncreas(i)ng the qual(i)ty of the(i)r l(i)fe and by g(i)v(i)ng them opportun(i)t(i)es so that they feel l(i)ke ‘equal partners.’ Th(i)s can be v(i)a co-des(i)gn of the(i)r serv(i)ce package, allow(i)ng them to express the(i)r v(i)ews and work(i)ng w(i)th them to (i)mprove serv(i)ce del(i)very (where poss(i)ble).

5.2.2 What (i)s the value of act(i)ve labour market programmes?

Labour market programmes and pol(i)c(i)es can be d(i)v(i)ded between act(i)ve labour market programmes (ALMPs) and pass(i)ve labour market programmes. Pass(i)ve labour market programmes prov(i)de (i)ncome replacement to jobseekers, for example unemployment benef(i)ts as replacement for wages, early ret(i)rement (i)ncent(i)ves and soc(i)al ass(i)stance. In many countr(i)es, the largest share of labour market expend(i)ture (i)s often sent on pass(i)ve labour market pol(i)c(i)es, however act(i)ve labour market programmes are (i)ncreas(i)ng.¹⁶ In contrast, ALMPs are ava(i)lable to jobseekers who are unable to f(i)nd employment eas(i)ly.¹⁷ ALMPs are typ(i)cally funded programmes that a(i)m to (i)mprove the employment prospects of part(i)c(i)pants.¹⁸ They typ(i)cally (i)nclude one or more of the elements outl(i)ned (i)n the table below.

Table 5.3 Typ(i)cal elements of an ALMP

Element	What (i)t (i)ncludes
Employment serv(i)ces and job search ass(i)stance	Th(i)s usually means that the PES takes a med(i)at(i)ng role between jobseekers and enterpr(i)ses that are look(i)ng for employees
Subs(i)d(i)sed employment	Th(i)s usually takes two forms: 1. Employment on publ(i)c projects, e.g. construct(i)on of new (i)nfrastructure 2. Employment w(i)th pr(i)vate employers v(i)a wage subs(i)d(i)es
Sk(i)lls tra(i)n(i)ng	Th(i)s usually (i)nvolves on- or off -the-job tra(i)n(i)ng w(i)th a v(i)ew of prov(i)d(i)ng young people w(i)th job-related sk(i)lls

ILO (2017) ‘R(i)s(i)ng to the youth employment challenge’

In add(i)t(i)on, ALMPs usually have common goals¹⁹ that (i)nclude:

Reduce the durat(i)on of unemployment and long-term welfare dependency,
Improve employment outcomes for reg(i)stered unemployed jobseekers, and
Improve system eff(i)c(i)enc(i)es (w(i)th(i)n PES and between PES and serv(i)ces prov(i)ded by other labour market actors).

W(i)th(i)n the reg(i)on, ALMPs are (i)n place but they are not w(i)dely accessed by unemployed people when compared to the w(i)der pool of unemployed people.²⁰

There (i)s the potent(i)al for PES (i)n the reg(i)on to further promote employab(i)l(i)ty support, (i)nclud(i)ng ALMPs, (i)n order to encourage more jobseekers to reg(i)ster w(i)th the PES and access ALMPs. Th(i)s can (i)ncrease the PES share of work(i)ng w(i)th unemployed people, contr(i)bute to shorten(i)ng the average durat(i)on of unemployment as well as demonstrat(i)ng the added value for PES to m(i)n(i)str(i)es so that future (i)nvestment can be secured.

PES can collect (i)nformat(i)on on unemployment durat(i)on, part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n ALMPs, results (i)n terms of employment after the(i)r complet(i)on (at set po(i)nts such as w(i)th(i)n one week, one month and s(i)x months, to show susta(i)nab(i)l(i)ty), expend(i)ture and cost-effect(i)veness of ALMPs.²¹

An (i)mportant aspect (i)n the del(i)very of ALMPs (i)s commun(i)cat(i)on and promot(i)on of these programmes to enterpr(i)ses. It (i)s (i)mportant for enterpr(i)ses to be fam(i)l(i)ar w(i)th the opt(i)ons ava(i)lable as the(i)r cooperat(i)on (i)s cr(i)t(i)cal to the del(i)very of some programmes, for example subs(i)d(i)sed (i)nternsh(i)ps, spec(i)f(i)c tra(i)n(i)ng, wage subs(i)d(i)es or concess(i)ons for recru(i)t(i)ng d(i)sadvantaged groups (e.g., tax breaks for recru(i)t(i)ng d(i)sabled workers or young people who do not have any prev(i)ous work exper(i)ence).²²

Case Study 13. Armen(i)a – Employment promot(i)on pol(i)c(i)es for people w(i)th d(i)sab(i)l(i)t(i)es (i)n Armen(i)a²³

Armen(i)a has developed, together w(i)th the ILO, serv(i)ces to promote the employment of people w(i)th d(i)sab(i)l(i)t(i)es. The State Employment Serv(i)ce Agency works w(i)th soc(i)al partners, reg(i)onal governments and non-governmental organ(i)sat(i)ons to del(i)ver support appropr(i)ate to each persons’ needs. Th(i)s (i)ncludes vocat(i)onal rehab(i)l(i)tat(i)on, vocat(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng, job placement support, lumpsum compensat(i)on for adapt(i)ng workshops and promot(i)on of self-employment.

It (i)s worth ment(i)on(i)ng that publ(i)c works are one of the most w(i)dely used ALMPs w(i)th(i)n the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) reg(i)on²⁴ and they are frequently used by young people. Wh(i)le they off er(i)ncome, work exper(i)ence and opportun(i)t(i)es to develop work behav(i)ours and undertake valuable work for commun(i)t(i)es, they are not always su(i)table for h(i)ghly sk(i)lled (i)nd(i)v(i)duals and often do not lead to future, susta(i)nable employment.

Th(i)s manual w(i)ll explore two spec(i)f(i)c types of ALMPs – vocat(i)onal educat(i)on tra(i)n(i)ng and w(i)der tra(i)n(i)ng programmes and wage subs(i)d(i)es.

Case Study 14. Creat(i)ng employment opportun(i)t(i)es for women return(i)ng after matern(i)ty leave (i)n the Astrakhan Reg(i)on, Russ(i)an Federat(i)on – ‘My mother (i)s an entrepreneur’ project

In 2017, the PES (i)n Astrakhan Reg(i)on of the Russ(i)an Federat(i)on (i)n(i)t(i)ated a p(i)lot project ‘My mother (i)s an entrepreneur’, (i)n partnersh(i)p w(i)th:

Amway Char(i)ty Foundat(i)on ‘In Respons(i)b(i)l(i)ty for the Future’;
The Federal Corporat(i)on for the Development of Small and Med(i)um Enterpr(i)ses (SME Corporat(i)on); and
The Comm(i)ttee for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneursh(i)p of the All-Russ(i)an Nongovernmental Organ(i)sat(i)on of Small and Med(i)um Bus(i)ness (OPORA RUSSIA).

The project targets women who left the labour market because of ch(i)ldb(i)rth or ch(i)ldcare and a(i)ms to promote women’s self-employment by help(i)ng the women br(i)ng the(i)r bus(i)ness (i)deas to fru(i)t(i)on. Women who have ch(i)ldren younger than 18 and are currently reg(i)stered w(i)th the PES are el(i)g(i)ble to part(i)c(i)pate.

Part(i)c(i)pants undergo a free-of-charge f(i)ve-day (i)ntens(i)ve tra(i)n(i)ng course on the bas(i)s of entrepreneursh(i)p and bus(i)ness management, w(i)th mentor(i)ng support by profess(i)onal entrepreneurs. A compet(i)t(i)on among part(i)c(i)pants’ projects (i)s held (i)n the f(i)nal stage of the tra(i)n(i)ng. A w(i)nner (i)s selected by a jury of experts based on econom(i)c feas(i)b(i)l(i)ty, or(i)g(i)nal(i)ty and soc(i)al s(i)gn(i)f(i)cance.

The w(i)nner rece(i)ves 100,000 Russ(i)an Rubles ((i)n 2019) from the ‘In Respons(i)b(i)l(i)ty for the Future’ Foundat(i)on. In add(i)t(i)on, the PES prov(i)des all part(i)c(i)pants w(i)th the mater(i)als necessary to start the(i)r bus(i)nesses (worth approx(i)mately 85,000 Russ(i)an Rubles). A total of 88 women have part(i)c(i)pated (i)n th(i)s project, 44 of whom have establ(i)shed the(i)r own bus(i)nesses dur(i)ng the f(i)rst three years of the project.

Case Study 15. P(i)lot(i)ng Entrepreneursh(i)p Promot(i)on Programmes (i)n Azerba(i)jan

Azerba(i)jan (i)mplemented a p(i)lot entrepreneursh(i)p promot(i)on programme, w(i)th support from the ILO, to (i)ncrease youth entrepreneursh(i)p (i)n rural areas. The p(i)lot programme targeted 20 young people and the lessons from th(i)s pract(i)ce have now been transferred (i)nto a much larger nat(i)onal scale programme that focuses on self-employment. To date, the nat(i)onal project has now supported approx(i)mately 2000 fam(i)l(i)es and a network of nat(i)on-w(i)de tra(i)ners has been establ(i)shed. The nat(i)onal project has been establ(i)shed w(i)th(i)n the framework of ‘Strateg(i)c Roadmap 2020’, wh(i)ch (i)dent(i)f(i)ed that soc(i)o-econom(i)c development (i)s (i)mportant and that there are should be spec(i)f(i)act(i)v(i)t(i)es (i)n place to help young people to expand the(i)r capac(i)t(i)es and (i)ntegrate them (i)nto soc(i)ety.

5.2.2.1 Vocat(i)onal educat(i)on tra(i)n(i)ng programmes can prov(i)de jobseekers w(i)th sector-spec(i)f(i)c knowledge and transferable, l(i)felong sk(i)lls

Vocat(i)onal educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng (VET) can prov(i)de jobseekers w(i)th knowledge, techn(i)cal sk(i)lls and competences spec(i)f(i)c to a certa(i)n job and career path as well as prov(i)d(i)ng an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual w(i)th an opportun(i)ty to develop transferable cross-cutt(i)ng sk(i)lls l(i)ke teamwork and commun(i)cat(i)on that can ass(i)st w(i)th the(i)r future career development. The content of the tra(i)n(i)ng and educat(i)on (i)s closely l(i)nked to the needs of the labour market and (i)t can respond to spec(i)f(i)c enterpr(i)se needs, wh(i)ch can contr(i)bute to develop(i)ng jobseekers who have sk(i)lls that enterpr(i)ses need now and (i)n the future. VET programmes can therefore help to (i)ncrease the sk(i)ll level of the local labour market, thus mak(i)ng the local area more attract(i)ve to enterpr(i)ses and hav(i)ng the potent(i)al to make real contr(i)but(i)ons to local, reg(i)onal and nat(i)onal econom(i)c strateg(i)es.

VET can be a su(i)table ALMP for d(i)sadvantaged groups, such as young people who have a low sk(i)ll level, as (i)t can (i)nclude a range of d(i)fferent learn(i)ng methodolog(i)es that m(i)x classroom based as well as handson, work-based pract(i)cal exper(i)ence. As such, VET can be used as a route to prov(i)de tra(i)n(i)ng to d(i)fferent groups of d(i)sadvantaged reg(i)stered jobseekers. For example, (i)t can be a valuable offer to:

Young people who do not have prev(i)ous exper(i)ence and have a low sk(i)ll base; or
Older workers who may need to upsk(i)ll or resk(i)ll so that they have the appropr(i)ate sk(i)lls requ(i)red by the labour market.

To make sure that part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)s worthwh(i)le, and resources can be eff(i)c(i)ently used PES need to carefully cons(i)der the follow(i)ng aspects for each (i)nd(i)v(i)dual:

Educat(i)on level and h(i)story;
Qual(i)f(i)cat(i)ons; and
Sk(i)lls that they already have.

W(i)th(i)n the context of the future of work, (i)t (i)s l(i)kely that the VET and other types of work-based learn(i)ng w(i)ll become much more (i)mportant as they can be del(i)vered (i)n a short-t(i)me frame to del(i)ver tra(i)n(i)ng on techn(i)cal sk(i)lls requ(i)red by sectors. The content of VET tra(i)n(i)ng programmes can be qu(i)ckly updated so that those part(i)c(i)pat(i)ng, (i)nclud(i)ng d(i)sadvantaged groups, are equ(i)pped w(i)th the sk(i)lls requ(i)red by enterpr(i)ses before they enter (i)nto employment.

PES need to work w(i)th local partners to del(i)ver VET or other work-based learn(i)ng tra(i)n(i)ng programmes. Th(i)s can (i)nclude enterpr(i)ses, educat(i)on prov(i)ders and techn(i)cal educat(i)on prov(i)ders. These partnersh(i)p relat(i)onsh(i)ps are requ(i)red so that the work-based elements can take place (i)n e(i)ther s(i)mulated work env(i)ronments or real-l(i)fe work env(i)ronments. By work(i)ng w(i)th local, or reg(i)onal, organ(i)sat(i)ons PES can allocate spec(i)f(i)c act(i)v(i)t(i)es to spec(i)al(i)st prov(i)ders and (i)n t(i)me, overcom(i)ng negat(i)ve percept(i)ons of PES. In add(i)t(i)on, PES can also pos(i)t(i)on the(i)r ALMPs and tra(i)n(i)ng del(i)very w(i)th partners w(i)th(i)n w(i)der strateg(i)es, as th(i)s has been demonstrated (i)n Azerba(i)jan.

Case Study 16. Youth of Azerba(i)jan Strategy

The Youth of Azerba(i)jan Strategy (i)ncludes the prov(i)s(i)on of educat(i)on and state-led programmes to unemployed young people and to h(i)ghly sk(i)lled graduates as well as the organ(i)sat(i)on of events and labour fa(i)rs target(i)ng young people/graduates to keep young people aware of the sk(i)lls demanded by the labour market. It also (i)ncludes a ‘Youth Board’, wh(i)ch covers the prov(i)s(i)on of part-subs(i)d(i)sed jobs for graduates aged under 29. To date, 14,000 young people have part(i)c(i)pated (i)n th(i)s spec(i)f(i)caspect.

More w(i)dely, work-based learn(i)ng act(i)v(i)t(i)es can (i)nclude apprent(i)cesh(i)ps, (i)nternsh(i)ps and on-the-job tra(i)n(i)ng. Programmes that (i)nclude work-based learn(i)ng aspects fac(i)l(i)tate trans(i)t(i)ons to decent work and lead to better labour market outcomes for learners, enterpr(i)ses and governments, (i)n terms of better employment outcomes and wages for learners and pos(i)t(i)ve rates of return on (i)nvestment to enterpr(i)ses and governments.²⁵ The box below outl(i)nes some benef(i)ts and advantages of us(i)ng work-based learn(i)ng programmes.

Box 25. Benef(i)ts offered by work-based learn(i)ng programmes²⁶

Labour market part(i)c(i)pat(i)on seems h(i)gher for learn(i)ngs wh(i)ch are pa(i)d for the work-based learn(i)ng component of the(i)r programmes, for example for (i)nterns and apprent(i)ces, than those learn(i)ngs wh(i)ch are not pa(i)d.

In terms of enterpr(i)ses, the f(i)nanc(i)al and non-f(i)nanc(i)al returns are largely pos(i)t(i)ve (i)n the case of (i)nternsh(i)ps and apprent(i)cesh(i)ps, but the benef(i)ts vary by programme type, durat(i)on and sk(i)ll level and the extent to wh(i)ch learners contr(i)bute to product(i)ve act(i)v(i)t(i)es of the enterpr(i)se.

For apprent(i)cesh(i)ps, early f(i)nd(i)ngs show that the benef(i)ts cont(i)nue for enterpr(i)ses after the apprent(i)cesh(i)p (i)s f(i)n(i)shed.

Techn(i)cal vocat(i)onal educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng (i)s effect(i)ve at gett(i)ng younger age groups (i)n the labour market as (i)t br(i)ngs workplace-based tra(i)n(i)ng (i)nto the educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng doma(i)n. Apprent(i)cesh(i)ps and pa(i)d (i)nternsh(i)ps are valuable (i)n th(i)s context.

It (i)s (i)mportant for enterpr(i)ses to get (i)nputs and they should be prov(i)ded w(i)th (i)nformat(i)on on the potent(i)al costs and benef(i)ts concern(i)ng d(i)fferent types of work-based learn(i)ng programmes.

5.2.2.2 Wage subs(i)d(i)es can be used to encourage enterpr(i)ses to h(i)re d(i)sadvantaged groups

Wage subs(i)d(i)es can be prov(i)ded for a short per(i)od of t(i)me to enterpr(i)ses to encourage them to recru(i)t d(i)sadvantaged groups. The a(i)m (i)s to compensate enterpr(i)ses for (i)n(i)t(i)al lower product(i)v(i)ty plus add(i)t(i)onal costs of on-the-job tra(i)n(i)ng or mentor(i)ng of the worker.²⁷ Th(i)s can prov(i)de enterpr(i)ses w(i)th a lower cost work force and prov(i)de d(i)sadvantaged groups w(i)th employment and an opportun(i)ty to develop workrelated sk(i)lls. Over t(i)me, (i)t (i)s expected that the wage subs(i)d(i)es would be taken away and the enterpr(i)se would take on the worker full t(i)me.

However, the use of wage subs(i)d(i)es must be carefully des(i)gned and targeted. For example, they can be targeted to the h(i)r(i)ng of spec(i)f(i)c groups such as d(i)sabled workers. In th(i)s spec(i)f(i)c case, (i)t (i)s often perce(i)ved that workers w(i)th d(i)sab(i)l(i)t(i)es often cannot perform at the same level as the(i)r fellow workers w(i)thout d(i)sab(i)l(i)t(i)es, or that enterpr(i)ses perce(i)ve the(i)r product(i)v(i)ty to be lower.²⁸ By carefully cons(i)der(i)ng the(i)r target group and the(i)r des(i)gn, PES can reduce any dead-we(i)ght losses. They have been successfully used (i)n the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) reg(i)on as the case study box below shows.

Case Study 17. Azerba(i)jan – wage subs(i)d(i)es for enterpr(i)se to h(i)re young people far from the labour market²⁹

In Azerba(i)jan, launched a 50% wage subs(i)dy (i)s offered to enterpr(i)ses for s(i)x months to h(i)re young people who are far from the labour market. The programme has been very successful (i)n help(i)ng to prov(i)de work exper(i)ence to young people and (i)n help(i)ng enterpr(i)ses to change the(i)r att(i)tude towards young people.

Ex(i)st(i)ng l(i)terature demonstrates that the success of wage subs(i)d(i)es can be strongly dependent on how they are comb(i)ned w(i)th (i)nd(i)v(i)dual coach(i)ng and enterpr(i)se (i)nvolvement.³⁰ Th(i)s could (i)nclude a spec(i)f(i)c contact po(i)nt e(i)ther at the enterpr(i)se or the PES for the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual to ‘check (i)n’ w(i)th and to prov(i)de them w(i)th any necessary gu(i)dance. Once the wage subs(i)dy has ended, (i)t (i)s recommended that d(i)sabled workers are offered vocat(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng, wh(i)ch may help to fac(i)l(i)tate the(i)r trans(i)t(i)on to non-subs(i)d(i)zed work.³¹ It (i)s worth not(i)ng that evaluat(i)on l(i)terature on wages subs(i)d(i)es shows that only few wage subs(i)dy programmes return pos(i)t(i)ve results for young people, but they often perform poorly regard(i)ng the(i)r (i)mpact on the future employment prospects of part(i)c(i)pants.³²

5.3 What can PES do to mon(i)tor and assess the effect(i)veness of measures for d(i)sadvantaged groups?

ALMPs need to be carefully mon(i)tored and evaluated to assess the(i)r effect(i)veness and establ(i)sh what works and why. Mon(i)tor(i)ng ALMP act(i)v(i)t(i)es can collect (i)nformat(i)on that (i)ncludes number of part(i)c(i)pants, length of unemployment durat(i)on after the ALMP, number of enterpr(i)ses (i)nvolved, number of part(i)c(i)pants who move (i)nto employment (and what type of employment) and gender spl(i)t of part(i)c(i)pants (where relevant). Mon(i)tor(i)ng should be an ongo(i)ng act(i)v(i)ty and part of a standard approach to serv(i)ce del(i)very and the emerg(i)ng outcomes are analysed, shared and d(i)scussed at management level so that h(i)gher levels are aware of the uptake, outcomes and potent(i)al (i)mpacts of ALMPs and any (i)mprovements can be made go(i)ng forward. Th(i)s can contr(i)bute to del(i)ver(i)ng h(i)gh qual(i)ty serv(i)ces that encourage equal part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n the labour market.

{{(i)nfo}}
Mon(i)tor(i)ng (i)s a cont(i)nuous process of collect(i)ng and analys(i)ng (i)nformat(i)on about a programme and compar(i)ng actual aga(i)nst planned results (i)n order to judge how well an (i)ntervent(i)on (i)s be(i)ng (i)mplemented.³³
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5.3.1 What methods can be used to collect data?

To be able to mon(i)tor the effect(i)veness of d(i)fferent measures for d(i)sadvantaged groups PES must have systems (i)n place to collect data. Th(i)s should be a standard(i)sed process across PES off(i)ces on a local, reg(i)onal and country level so that results can be collated and v(i)ewed as a whole.

Certa(i)n metr(i)cs should be ava(i)lable v(i)a onl(i)ne systems, (i)f they are used, where (i)nformat(i)on can be added about each jobseeker upon reg(i)strat(i)on w(i)th the(i)r personal (i)nformat(i)on, employment and educat(i)on h(i)story, results of (i)n(i)t(i)al assessment and any subsequent act(i)ons undertaken by the jobseekers (i)nclud(i)ng any ALMPs the jobseeker has been enrolled (i)n. If data (i)s not present (i)n an onl(i)ne system, PES could cons(i)der the follow(i)ng po(i)nts:³⁴

Are there surveys or other ways to collect quant(i)tat(i)ve mon(i)tor(i)ng data?
Are there ways to develop automated ways to collect th(i)s data to the IT (i)nfrastructure?
Are there ways to collect qual(i)tat(i)ve (i)nformat(i)on to f(i)nd out about part(i)c(i)pants’ v(i)ews and exper(i)ences of ALMPs?

W(i)th regards to collect(i)ng qual(i)tat(i)ve (i)nformat(i)on PES can undertake onl(i)ne or paper ex(i)t quest(i)onna(i)res. These can be used for two reasons. F(i)rstly, and most s(i)mply, to f(i)nd out about the(i)r sat(i)sfact(i)on and general (i)mpress(i)ons of a programme. Secondly, an ex(i)t quest(i)onna(i)re can also be used to f(i)nd out the ‘d(i)stance travelled’ and knowledge ga(i)ned. These can be carr(i)ed out at the end of a programme, for example vocat(i)onal tra(i)n(i)ng programme, and where paper-based quest(i)onna(i)res are used they can be done ‘ons(i)te’ to ensure a good response rate.

In add(i)t(i)on, PES may also cons(i)der undertak(i)ng telephone (i)nterv(i)ews w(i)th part(i)c(i)pants at spec(i)f(i)c t(i)m(i)ngs after the ALMP has ended, for example s(i)x weeks or one month afterwards. Th(i)s can be used to collect feedback on the measure and to f(i)nd out the jobseeker (i)s now (i)n employment.

5.3.2 How can data be used to mon(i)tor and assess the effect(i)veness of measures?

PES can collect a vast amount of data by record(i)ng (i)nformat(i)on v(i)a the methods outl(i)ned above. PES should collate th(i)s on a monthly bas(i)s, or less frequently, and draw out (i)nterest(i)ng talk(i)ng po(i)nts from the data and share these po(i)nts w(i)th sen(i)or management. For example, the data could show that more (or less) d(i)sadvantaged groups are part(i)c(i)pat(i)ng (i)n ALMPs, wh(i)ch groups are well or less represented, and trans(i)t(i)on t(i)me to employment. Th(i)s can also be coupled w(i)th an analys(i)s of the qual(i)tat(i)ve data, (i)f ava(i)lable, that can h(i)ghl(i)ght any areas of (i)mprovement from an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual’s perspect(i)ve. In the Russ(i)an Federat(i)on all reg(i)onal PES off(i)ces are requ(i)red to collect (i)nformat(i)on us(i)ng a ded(i)cated form called ‘2T-Jobplacement’.³⁵ The form (i)s collated by the reg(i)onal PES and the data (i)s then analysed by the Russ(i)an PES.

Informat(i)on can be collated and referred to w(i)th(i)n the context of the ‘Plan, Check, Do, Act (PCDA)’ cycle. Th(i)s can be an (i)mportant part of a PES’ qual(i)ty management approach wh(i)ch can help them to cont(i)nuously mon(i)tor del(i)very ((i)nclud(i)ng object(i)ves, targets, and (i)nd(i)cators), ev(i)dence-based evaluat(i)ons, and subsequent (i)nnovat(i)ons and (i)mprovements.³⁶ The f(i)gure below shows the PCDA cycle.

F(i)gure 5.4 PCDA cycle³⁷

png

Evaluat(i)on (i)s the assessment of an (i)ntervent(i)on to determ(i)ne (i)ts relevance, eff(i)c(i)ency, effect(i)veness, (i)mpact and susta(i)nab(i)l(i)ty.³⁸

In order to carefully evaluate and assess the effect(i)veness of d(i)fferent ALMPs PES need to cons(i)der a number of quest(i)ons, these w(i)ll help to establ(i)sh a clear d(i)rect(i)on for evaluat(i)on act(i)v(i)t(i)es. The quest(i)ons below are a good start(i)ng po(i)nt for evaluat(i)on act(i)v(i)t(i)es:³⁹

What do we want to know about PES serv(i)ces?
How can we bu(i)ld up such knowledge?
What conclus(i)ons can we draw to (i)nform the PES strateg(i)c and operat(i)onal dec(i)s(i)ons?

However, PES can work towards th(i)s w(i)thout all these d(i)fferent prerequ(i)s(i)tes (i)n place. For example, us(i)ng p(i)lot schemes (i)s a good start(i)ng po(i)nt for PES to run a small scale ‘test’ of a spec(i)f(i)c approach. Th(i)s can help to (i)dent(i)fy what works and what needs to be (i)mproved before the p(i)lot (i)s rolled out to a larger level. P(i)lots are used by some reg(i)ons (i)n the Russ(i)an Federat(i)on to test approaches to del(i)ver(i)ng ALMPs to young people (see the Case Study below).

Establ(i)sh(i)ng systems for evaluat(i)on systems requ(i)res several prerequ(i)s(i)tes, wh(i)ch (i)nclude:

Appropr(i)ate leg(i)slat(i)ve bas(i)s Demand for evaluat(i)on results from dec(i)s(i)on-makers Good qual(i)ty data Data warehouses and appropr(i)ate IT systems PES staff who have the knowledge and methodolog(i)cal know-how.

Case Study 18. Republ(i)c of Kalmyk(i)a, Russ(i)an Federat(i)on, – des(i)gn and adopt(i)on ofwage subs(i)d(i)es for long-term unemployed young people⁴⁰

The Republ(i)c of Kalmyk(i)a (i)n the Russ(i)an Federat(i)on launched a p(i)lot employment programme (i)n 2015 a(i)med at gett(i)ng long-term unemployed young people (i)nto work. A 50% wage subs(i)dy was offered to enterpr(i)ses for s(i)x months to encourage them to h(i)re the target group. S(i)xteen young people took part, most of them had only short-term, low qual(i)ty work exper(i)ence. Th(i)rteen young people got permanent employment w(i)th the same enterpr(i)se after the wage subs(i)dy exp(i)red and three other young people secured permanent employment w(i)th other enterpr(i)ses. The scheme was (i)ncorporated (i)nto the reg(i)on’s employment programmes s(i)nce 2016.

When deal(i)ng w(i)th young people who are furthest from the labour market, (i)t (i)s (i)mportant to develop mon(i)tor(i)ng and evaluat(i)on approaches that cons(i)der the long-term pos(i)t(i)ve (i)mpacts on the (i)nd(i)v(i)dual. By cons(i)der(i)ng the longer-term (i)mpact, PES can develop (i)ns(i)ghts (i)nto what does or does not work and th(i)s can be used to adjust or re-des(i)gn spec(i)f(i)c programmes.

One successful approach (i)s us(i)ng the ‘d(i)stance travelled’ approach.⁴¹

Instead of look(i)ng at a vulnerable young person’s employment s(i)tuat(i)on at the end of a spec(i)f(i)c programme, (i)t looks at the ‘d(i)stance’ and progress the young person makes s(i)nce he f(i)rst accessed support. Th(i)s can also account for d(i)fferent (i)ntervent(i)ons that may not necessar(i)ly help the young person to enter employment stra(i)ght away.

5.4 What (i)s the added value of work(i)ng w(i)th partners to del(i)ver these serv(i)ces?

It (i)s worth stress(i)ng that (i)n order to del(i)ver appropr(i)ate and effect(i)ve ALMPs to d(i)sadvantaged groups (i)t (i)s (i)mportant to work w(i)th spec(i)al(i)st prov(i)ders and other labour market actors to do th(i)s. Th(i)s (i)s so that the most appropr(i)ate serv(i)ces can be prov(i)ded (i)n a cost-effect(i)ve manner and (i)t also means that PES resources can be funnelled towards other act(i)v(i)t(i)es, such as support(i)ng and counsell(i)ng eas(i)er-to-place jobseekers. By work(i)ng w(i)th other actors, PES also expand the(i)r network and, as a by-product, promote the(i)r range of serv(i)ces and (i)mprove others’ understand(i)ngs and percept(i)ons of PES. Th(i)s sect(i)on w(i)ll prov(i)de some deta(i)ls on the (i)mportance of staff tra(i)n(i)ng as well as prov(i)d(i)ng an overv(i)ew of the d(i)fferent partners who PES may want to work w(i)th.

5.4.1 Why should PES staff be spec(i)f(i)cally tra(i)ned to deal w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups?

Staff tra(i)n(i)ng (i)s very (i)mportant to ensure that all relevant staff have the r(i)ght knowledge and expert(i)se and are equ(i)pped w(i)th the PES’ key messages around partnersh(i)p work(i)ng and the benef(i)ts of work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)sadvantaged groups.

F(i)rstly, PES staff who deal d(i)rectly w(i)th enterpr(i)ses need to be able to convey to enterpr(i)ses why they should part(i)c(i)pate (i)n measures and (i)ncent(i)ves for d(i)sadvantaged groups. PES staff should be able to emphas(i)se the un(i)que opportun(i)t(i)es, v(i)ews and sk(i)lls that some d(i)sadvantaged groups may offer to an enterpr(i)se. For example, some m(i)grants may be able to speak d(i)fferent languages that could be of an advantage to enterpr(i)ses or young people w(i)th a low exper(i)ence level may be more au fa(i)t w(i)th new technolog(i)es and may be able to br(i)ng (i)n new, (i)nnovat(i)ve (i)deas that may enhance and (i)mprove enterpr(i)se pract(i)ces.

In some European countr(i)es, the PES have created spec(i)al awards or badges for enterpr(i)ses to recogn(i)se the(i)r work (i)n h(i)r(i)ng d(i)sadvantaged workers and the(i)r contr(i)but(i)ons to fa(i)r, equal and (i)nclus(i)ve employment.⁴²

Th(i)s (i)s a w(i)n-w(i)n s(i)tuat(i)on for both PES and enterpr(i)ses as (i)t (i)s someth(i)ng that enterpr(i)ses can promote as a good example to jobseekers as a s(i)gn of a qual(i)ty workplace, to other bus(i)nesses and they may also promote th(i)s (i)n the med(i)a. For the PES th(i)s can be used as an example of the ‘added’ value of PES that can be shared w(i)th other enterpr(i)ses and stakeholders.

Secondly, PES staff should also be knowledgeable about the needs of d(i)sadvantaged groups and be (i)n the pos(i)t(i)on to help enterpr(i)ses to overcome any potent(i)al b(i)ases, such as gender b(i)as that may be held by enterpr(i)ses (i)n spec(i)f(i)c sectors. PES can also produce (or work w(i)th spec(i)al(i)st organ(i)sat(i)ons to produce) tra(i)n(i)ng and (i)nformat(i)on mater(i)als that may contr(i)bute to chang(i)ng the percept(i)ons of enterpr(i)ses. Th(i)s (i)s an (i)mportant step to create workplaces and labour markets that are w(i)thout b(i)as or d(i)scr(i)m(i)nat(i)on.

5.4.2 Who should PES work w(i)th to develop and del(i)ver ALMPs and why?

Partners need to be carefully selected so that they can make appropr(i)ate (i)nputs (i)nto the des(i)gn and del(i)very of ALMPs. Th(i)s can help PES to del(i)ver h(i)gh qual(i)ty, effect(i)ve ALMPs that can a(i)d the trans(i)t(i)on to the labour market for d(i)sadvantaged groups. The table below outl(i)nes some of the d(i)fferent partners whom PES can cons(i)der work(i)ng w(i)th to develop and del(i)ver ALMPs. The l(i)st (i)s not exhaust(i)ve, but (i)t (i)s (i)ntended to (i)nd(i)cate the value of ga(i)n(i)ng (i)ns(i)ghts from others and that PES cannot del(i)very ALMPs alone.

Table 5.4 Partners to work w(i)th (i)n the development and del(i)very of ALMPs

Partner type	Reason(s) to work w(i)th them
Local governments and publ(i)c adm(i)n(i)strat(i)ons	Development and (i)n the del(i)very of publ(i)c work schemes Ra(i)s(i)ng awareness of ALMPs
Local enterpr(i)ses	Promote ALMPs to them and encourage take up of wage subs(i)d(i)es Encourage enterpr(i)ses to host on-the-job tra(i)n(i)ng, (i)nternsh(i)ps and apprent(i)ces
Local educat(i)on and tra(i)n(i)ng (i)nst(i)tut(i)ons	Prov(i)d(i)ng VET related programmes
Youth organ(i)sat(i)ons	Outreach to young people Prov(i)de (i)nput (i)n the development of ALMPs target(i)ng young people Prov(i)de (i)nput (i)n the support to young people part(i)c(i)pat(i)ng (i)n ALMPs, e.g. as mentors
D(i)sab(i)l(i)ty-focused organ(i)sat(i)ons	Adv(i)s(i)ng on the development and del(i)very of ALMPs for d(i)sabled people
M(i)grant-focused organ(i)sat(i)ons	Adv(i)s(i)ng on the development and del(i)very of ALMPs for m(i)grants
EMBOs	Promot(i)ng ALMPs to them and work (i)n partnersh(i)p w(i)th them to further promote ALMPs to the(i)r members Encourag(i)ng members to become (i)nvolved (i)n ALMP del(i)very, e.g. host(i)ng an (i)nternsh(i)p, on-the-job tra(i)n(i)ng or apprent(i)cesh(i)p
Trade un(i)ons	Ra(i)s(i)ng awareness of ALMPs and reach(i)ng out to spec(i)f(i)c target groups Prov(i)de (i)nput (i)n the development of spec(i)f(i)c schemes

ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’.

In add(i)t(i)on, w(i)th the r(i)se of soc(i)al med(i)a PES (i)n the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are work(i)ng w(i)th vloggers (‘v(i)deo bloggers’, (i).e. (i)nd(i)v(i)duals who create v(i)deos about certa(i)n top(i)cs and upload them to soc(i)al med(i)a) to promote PES serv(i)ces to young people, some of them may not have very much exper(i)ence. Th(i)s (i)s an (i)nnovat(i)ve way to reach out to young people and could be used to ra(i)se awareness and take up of ALMPs w(i)th(i)n young people.

Case Study 19. Us(i)ng soc(i)al med(i)a ‘celebr(i)t(i)es’ to reach young people – Republ(i)c of Kom(i), Russ(i)an Federat(i)on

The PES (i)n the Republ(i)c of Kom(i) have establ(i)shed a project to prov(i)de h(i)gh school students w(i)th career (i)nformat(i)on, partner(i)ng w(i)th a popular YouTuber to do so. The M(i)n(i)stry of Labour, Employment and Soc(i)al Protect(i)on of the Kom(i) Republ(i)c started the “Tomorrow Is You” project (i)n spr(i)ng of 2018 to help h(i)gh school students w(i)th determ(i)n(i)ng the(i)r profess(i)onal pathways by fam(i)l(i)ar(i)s(i)ng them w(i)th popular spec(i)al(i)t(i)es. Act(i)v(i)t(i)es (i)nclude:

organ(i)s(i)ng meet(i)ngs for h(i)gh school students w(i)th guest speakers of var(i)ous profess(i)ons
s(i)te v(i)s(i)ts to enterpr(i)ses (i)n d(i)fferent sectors

The project cooperated w(i)th N(i)k(i)ta Chernov, a YouTuber who (i)s popular w(i)th young and has more than 53,000 subscr(i)bers. W(i)th support from the Youth L(i)brary of the Kom(i) Republ(i)c, wh(i)ch acted as a platform for the project’s (i)mplementat(i)on, the YouTuber created an 80-second v(i)deo where he (i)ntroduces the project. The v(i)deo promoted the message that the project offered pos(i)t(i)ve outcomes for young part(i)c(i)pants. He also attended a meet(i)ng w(i)th h(i)gh school students and helped to get them (i)nterested (i)n the project. The cooperat(i)on w(i)th the YouTuber ra(i)sed awareness of local and other young people (i)n the “Tomorrow Is You” project and, (i)ncreas(i)ng the number of (i)ts part(i)c(i)pants, contr(i)buted to enhanc(i)ng the ab(i)l(i)ty of youth to determ(i)ne the(i)r career trajectory.

5.4.3 What tools can be used to manage work(i)ng arrangements?

Work(i)ng w(i)th d(i)fferent partners w(i)ll requ(i)re governance structures (i)n place so that the roles and respons(i)b(i)l(i)t(i)es of the PES and the partner are conf(i)rmed, and both are clear on the a(i)ms and object(i)ves of the collaborat(i)on. Putt(i)ng such arrangements (i)n place w(i)ll m(i)n(i)m(i)se any potent(i)al for confus(i)on, and confl(i)ct.

The table below outl(i)nes some of the d(i)fferent governance structures that can be used by PES to work w(i)th partners (i)n the develop(i)ng and del(i)very of ALMPs.

Table 5.5 Partnersh(i)p governance mechan(i)sms for del(i)very and development of ALMPs

Governance mechan(i)sm	Deta(i)ls
Partnersh(i)p boards	A jo(i)nt consultat(i)ve forum for stakeholder partnersh(i)ps that are not market based. The frequency of meet(i)ngs depends on what (i)s be(i)ng consulted, and more operat(i)onal meet(i)ngs can be organ(i)sed on a regular bas(i)s (e.g., monthly bas(i)s), wh(i)le strateg(i)c meet(i)ngs tend to take part on a quarterly bas(i)s
Partnersh(i)p agreements and contracts	Th(i)s (i)s a formal agreement, wh(i)ch can be legally enforceable. Statements of (i)ntent and mutual comm(i)tment can also be used. Wr(i)tten comm(i)tments can ensure comm(i)tment from all partners and shared object(i)ves. They can also expla(i)n any h(i)erarch(i)es and (i)nd(i)v(i)dual contact po(i)nts
Informal and unwr(i)tten agreements	These are (i)nformal work(i)ng relat(i)onsh(i)ps, pr(i)mar(i)ly based on mutual trust. They are therefore often dependent on work(i)ng relat(i)onsh(i)ps between certa(i)n (i)nd(i)v(i)duals and can be at r(i)sk (i)f an (i)nd(i)v(i)dual departs an organ(i)sat(i)on
Commerc(i)al contract	These are legally enforceable and cover market-or(i)entated ((i).e., prov(i)d(i)ng a serv(i)ce for a f(i)nanc(i)al value) goals. They are often more legally d(i)fferent to partnersh(i)p agreements

European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2015) ‘Trends and developments (i)n PES partnersh(i)p-work(i)ng’

F(i)gure 5.5 Workflow for act(i)vat(i)on measures

png

Box 26. Creat(i)ng (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets

Below (i)s a checkl(i)st of the key features that should be del(i)vered to act(i)vate d(i)sadvantaged groups and help to create (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets:

A def(i)n(i)t(i)on of d(i)sadvantaged groups to be pr(i)or(i)t(i)sed, enabl(i)ng a customer segmentat(i)on strategy
A process for captur(i)ng relevant (i)nformat(i)on to prov(i)de counsellors w(i)th a cl(i)ent case h(i)story
A comprehens(i)ve l(i)st of stakeholder organ(i)sat(i)ons who can work (i)n partnersh(i)p w(i)th the PES
A programme to tra(i)n staff (i)n meet(i)ng the needs of d(i)sadvantaged groups
A partnersh(i)p strategy to determ(i)ne wh(i)ch serv(i)ces the PES should prov(i)de and wh(i)ch should be del(i)vered through other organ(i)sat(i)ons
ALMPs (i)n place that address both the barr(i)ers of d(i)sadvantaged cl(i)ents and meet the needs of employers
A system for assess(i)ng the effect(i)veness of support measures (i)n meet(i)ng the needs of d(i)sadvantaged cl(i)ents
Incent(i)ves to encourage enterpr(i)ses to recru(i)t d(i)sadvantaged cl(i)ents
Vocat(i)onal and educat(i)on (VET) tra(i)n(i)ng schemes des(i)gned to meet labour market needs
A system for collect(i)ng qual(i)tat(i)ve and quant(i)tat(i)ve data to mon(i)tor the effect(i)veness of ALMPs
A process for track(i)ng the (re)(i)ntegrat(i)on journeys of d(i)sadvantaged jobseekers towards employment and measur(i)ng susta(i)nab(i)l(i)ty post-recru(i)tment
A transparent governance structure def(i)n(i)ng the respons(i)b(i)l(i)t(i)es of PES and partners for the del(i)very of ALMPs, that are targeted to meet the needs of d(i)sadvantaged people.

Box 27. Quest(i)ons for self-reflect(i)on

Use the quest(i)ons below to th(i)nk about the steps your PES need to take to develop and (i)mplement to create (i)nclus(i)ve labour markets:

Do cl(i)ent record systems capture suff(i)c(i)ent (i)nformat(i)on to enable personal(i)sed support to be prov(i)ded for d(i)sadvantaged cl(i)ents to overcome barr(i)ers to (i)ntegrat(i)on? If not, how should these be enhanced?
Are systems (i)n place to track cl(i)ents’ progress towards (re)(i)ntegrat(i)on? If not, how can these be (i)ntroduced?
What systems do you need to (i)ntroduce to ensure that ALMPs (i)ncrease the employab(i)l(i)ty of d(i)sadvantaged people?
How comprehens(i)ve (i)s your stakeholder engagement? Do you need to expand th(i)s to ensure that the (i)nterests of d(i)sadvantaged cl(i)ents are properly represented?

^ ILO Centenary Declarat(i)on for the Future of Work (2019) (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_norm/~~-relconf/documents/meet(i)ngdocument/wcms_711674.pdf)
^ ILO (2018) ‘Publ(i)c employment serv(i)ces: Jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces for people fac(i)ng labour market d(i)sadvantage’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_632629.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2014) ‘European reference competence prof(i)le for PES and EURES counsellors’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=14100&langId=en)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Act(i)vat(i)on measures for young people (i)n vulnerable s(i)tuat(i)ons: Exper(i)ences from the ground’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/ma(i)n.jsp?atId=738&langId=en&pubId=8142&furtherPubs=yes)
^ ILO (2018) ‘Publ(i)c employment serv(i)ces: Jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces for people fac(i)ng labour market d(i)sadvantage’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_632629.pdf)~~
^ Ib(i)d.
^ ILO (2018) ‘Publ(i)c employment serv(i)ces: Jo(i)ned-up serv(i)ces for people fac(i)ng labour market d(i)sadvantage’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_632629.pdf)~~
^ ILO (2016) ‘Mutual learn(i)ng workshop: What works on employment serv(i)ces for youth’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/~~-emp_pol(i)cy/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_318139.pdf)
^ Ib(i)d.
^ Taken from European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2016) Susta(i)nable act(i)vat(i)on of NEETs (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=
16571&langId=en)
^ ILO (2017) ‘Gu(i)de for develop(i)ng nat(i)onal outreach strateg(i)es for (i)nact(i)ve young people’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_613351.pdf)~~
^ ILO (2017) ‘Gu(i)de for develop(i)ng nat(i)onal outreach strateg(i)es for (i)nact(i)ve young people’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_613351.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Act(i)vat(i)on measures for young people (i)n vulnerable s(i)tuat(i)ons: Exper(i)ence from the ground’
(https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20212&langId=en)
^ https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=17007&langId=en
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Act(i)vat(i)on measures for young people (i)n vulnerable s(i)tuat(i)ons: Exper(i)ence from the ground’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20212&langId=en)
^ ILO (2004) ‘Successful employment and labour market pol(i)c(i)es (i)n Europe and As(i)a and the Pac(i)f(i)c’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/~~-emp_elm/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_114329.pdf)
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2016) ‘Issues emerg(i)ng from comb(i)n(i)ng act(i)ve and pass(i)ve measures for the long-term unemployed – the des(i)gn and del(i)very of s(i)ngle po(i)nts of contact’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=16863&langId=en)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2016) ‘Issues emerg(i)ng from comb(i)n(i)ng act(i)ve and pass(i)ve measures for the long-term unemployed – the des(i)gn and del(i)very of s(i)ngle po(i)nts of contact’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=16863&langId=en)
^ Ib(i)d.
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ Ib(i)d.
^ Ib(i)d.
^ ILO (2018) ‘Does work-based learn(i)ng fac(i)l(i)tate trans(i)t(i)ons to decent work?’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_635797.pdf)~~
^ ILO (2018) ‘Does work-based learn(i)ng fac(i)l(i)tate trans(i)t(i)ons to decent work?’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_635797.pdf)~~
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eas tern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2016) ‘D(i)sab(i)l(i)ty and labour market (i)ntegrat(i)on’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=16601&langId=en)
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2011) ‘The role of publ(i)c employment serv(i)ces (i)n youth (i)ntegrat(i)on’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=14112&langId=en)
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eastern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2016) ‘D(i)sab(i)l(i)ty and labour market (i)ntegrat(i)on’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=16601&langId=en)
^ ILO (2013) ‘Mon(i)tor(i)ng and evaluat(i)on of youth employment programmes: A learn(i)ng gu(i)de’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/~~-emp_pol(i)cy/documents/(i)nstruct(i)onalmater(i)al/wcms_384468.pdf)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2019) ‘Gett(i)ng started w(i)th key performance (i)nd(i)cators’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20673&langId=en)
^ An example can be found here: https://normat(i)v.kontur.ru/document?moduleId=44&documentId=42180&from=s(i)m(i)larforms
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Methods of qual(i)ty management’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20389&langId=en)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Methods of qual(i)ty management’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20389&langId=en)
^ ILO (2013) ‘Mon(i)tor(i)ng and evaluat(i)on of youth employment programmes’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-ed_emp/~~-emp_pol(i)cy/documents/(i)nstruct(i)onalmater(i)al/wcms_384468.pdf)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘PES Network Sem(i)nar on p(i)lot(i)ng and evaluat(i)on’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=19254&langId=en)
^ ILO (2017) ‘Towards pol(i)c(i)es tackl(i)ng the current youth employment challenges (i)n Eas tern Europe and Central As(i)a’ (https://www.(i)lo.org/wcmsp5/groups/publ(i)c/~~-europe/~~-ro-geneva/~~-sro-moscow/documents/publ(i)cat(i)on/wcms_575550.pdf)~~
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2018) ‘Act(i)vat(i)on measures for young people (i)n vulnerable s(i)tuat(i)ons: Exper(i)ence from the ground’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=20212&langId=en)
^ European Comm(i)ss(i)on (2014) ‘Targeted serv(i)ces to employers’ (https://ec.europa.eu/soc(i)al/BlobServlet?docId=14083&langId=en)