As part of a human resource development project supported with €650 000 from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, the Hungarian Association for Lifelong Learning will establish 9 adult education learning centres for disadvantaged people in Hungary. The centres will be located in Budapest, Derecske, Hatvan, Kázsmárk, Kék, Nagykállo, Öriszentpéter, Pécs, Rozály and Zalaegerszeg.
"We will provide training in IT, language and general business development skills. These are all skills that are in high demand," says Lajos Varjú, of the trainers, at the opening of the training centres in Nagykállo and Kék on May 5. The Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning (VOX) has participated in the project by training trainers and developing curricula. Through local learning partnerships and individual counseling, the centres will help users establish themselves on the labour market.
Nagykállo and Kék have particularly high levels of unemployment. In Nagykálló, only 1860 out of 10 320 inhabitants are locally employed, whereas the unemployment rate in Kék swings from 17 to 35 % according to seasonal work opportunities. "The most important obstacles to participation in training courses in these two cities have been the lack of big companies, low motivation, lack of information and high cost connected to the training courses. This makes it vital to establish good training centres in these cities," said Dr. Lajos Kiss, Chairman of the Local Welfare Service Foundation.
In Hungary, the participation rate in adult education programmes is only 12%, which is the lowest rate in all of the European countries, according to Eurostat figures.
Photo: Guri M. Smenes, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Budapest