Description
Children and youth growing up in the social care system are often in need of special attention, having been deprived of the affection and support provided in a natural family environment. Usually, at the age of 18, special protective measures ceases and the young must assume responsibilities of adulthood. Those who are leaving or have left the care system are forced to integrate into social and professional life. The project will implement, in Harghita County, a new social service for youth at risk consisting of assisted employment services for youth who have reached the age of 16 and are scheduled to leave the system of child care protection and who are not in a position of steady employment. The project will create four centres providing assisted employment places where 172 young people (out of which 60 are Roma and 25 have disabilities) will benefit from activities of vocational guidance and counselling, assessment and profiling.
Summary of project results
The project intervention focused on young people at risk, age between 16 and 29, who live in child protection institutions until age 18, including disabled young people and rroma people from Harghita county. This category was identified with intense need for special care and attention, as the social assistance is provided as long as they are part of the child protection sistem only. Once they leave the sistem as adults, they need to know how to live independently, as they lack family and support, and don’t have educational background. Most of the people who leave the social protection system don’t have a job and have difficulties in finding a job and a place to live. Statistics show that there are over 175 young people (16-29 years old) leaving in social protection system in Harghita county, and 224 people (18-29 years old). Through this project, 210 persons at risk including 34 Rroma people were beneficiaries of support and assistance in order to get employed, through 4 centers where this new social service was created. The 4 centers sett up through this project are located in 4 cities from Harghita county, as the beneficiaries are most likely to find jobs in big cities.11 specialists were trained in order to provide assistance and guidance for the employment of these people. 130 young people were beneficiaries of qualification courses and 38 beneficiaries have been employed (including 6 disabled young people). The project also lobbied in front of employers from Harghita County, who were informed and encouraged to change attitude towards young people at risk, and were encouraged to participante in fighting discrimination and stigma of these people. 15 promoting events were organized, with participation of 10-15 employers per event. 346 persons, members of the community, potential direct beneficiaries, employers, local authorities members and vulnerable groups representatives were contacted by the project promoter.
Summary of bilateral results