Description
In Hungary the employment rate of people with disability (PWD) is particularly low, only 18.1%. Entering or returning to the labour market is difficult for them, primarily because employers are under- or misinformed about PWD and are reluctant to hire disabled people. Supported by EEA Grant the project aims to develop teaching/training materials (TTMs) for both higher education programmes and company trainings to increase the employment chances of PWD in the open market. Norwegian good practices will be adapted and a thorough research will be conducted in order to map the current labour market situation in Hungary. Members of the partnership have been selected to represent various types of expertise required to tackle the complex problems PWD encounter. The consortium is headed by a higher education institution, Corvinus University of Budapest. The university’s staff has experience in both curriculum development and providing the kind of training programmes that will be piloted within the framework of the project. Partner institutions include a prominent NGO, Salva Vita Foundation representing the needs of disabled people, and a governmental institution, the Türr István Training and Research Institute, with experience in the field of research, adult training as well as with access to a countrywide network of private and public organisations. The Norwegian Donor partner, NHO Service, is actively involved in bridging the gap between employers and PWD; they also demonstrated experience in developing various higher education curricula and training contents in the field of vocational rehabilitation.
Summary of project results
Vulnerable social groups, incl. people with altered work capacity, are at an increased risk of social exclusion, the prevention of which is one of the priorities of the EU2020 (Priority3, Target3). Entering or returning to the labour market is difficult for these people, as employers are often reluctant to hire them. The proAbility project aimed at improving the employment opportunities of people with altered working capacity by: • Identifying the main misconceptions and information gaps with respect to employers’ attitudes; • Providing unique educational tools to overcome these obstacles so as to influence the attitudes, perceptions and subsequent actions of present and future company managers and HR personnel. First, a qualitative survey was conducted to map the needs of both employers and disabled employees in the country. At the same time best practice examples were collected from companies. The outcomes were published in two books and served as a basis for the development of teaching/training materials (TTMs). Relying on the support of the Norwegian partners and the Salva Vita Foundation, a Hungarian NGO that represents the interests of disabled people, a team of instructors from Corvinus University of Budapest developed TTMs in 3 sizes: for HE curricula, for HR professionals and for company leaders. The outputs were peer reviewed and piloted. 11 free trial trainings were held in Budapest, Kecskemét, Székesfehérvár, London and Oslo; the feedback received was taken into consideration in the course of the finalization of the TTMs. The Hungarian products were translated into English and disseminated internationally to universities, HR organizations and NGOs. Consortium partners will continue to use the TTMs in their training programs while other institutions in Hungary, Norway, Spain and Canada started to study and/or pilot the proAbility TTMs that proved to be a unique set of tools for training employers to successfully employ people with altered work capacity.
Summary of bilateral results
TKKI, a governmental agency affiliated with the Ministry of Human Resources, was the largest training and research institution in Hungary in the field of adult education and training. In the project, TKKI’s main role was to ensure the high quality of analytical work in the research done at the beginning of the project. Another role of TKKI laid in its capacity to recruit and mobilize prominent stakeholders through its countrywide network of regional units, which brought an important contribution to the needs assessment workshop and to the organization of four pilot trainings in Kecskemét and Székesfehérvár. NHO Service, has for many years been actively involved in bridging the gap between employers and people with altered work capacity, as well as developing various higher education curricula and training contents in the field of vocational rehabilitation. On account of its scope of expertise, NHO Service has been, in general, responsible for sharing their knowledge and experience throughout the implementation of the project. In particular, their staff oversaw the WP dedicated to the collection of best practices in Norway, including interviews and case studies on how companies incorporate the attitude of CSR related to people with disabilities. They also involved in curriculum development travelled to Norway to get first-hand experience of the good practices NHO Service represented. Salva Vita Foundation (SVF) is one of the most prominent NGOs representing the needs of disabled people in Hungary, and has more than 20 years of experience in linking businesses and people with reduced work capacities. Therefore the role of SVF throughout the project was fundamental in providing expertise regarding the legal and practical context as well as issues related to disability and the employment of people with disabilities. They were responsible for providing a continuous “reality check” with respect to the feasibility and viability of the transfer and adaptation of Norwegian best practices vis-à-vis local circumstances. SVF participated in the development of one module of the curriculum (awareness-raising), and contributed with data and exercises to the remaining part of the training handbooks. SVF instructors participated in the last three pilot trainings organized together with Corvinus University, and they helped involving a co-trainer with disabilities to each session to make the sensitization aspect more genuine and real.