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Description
Several activities in the project are based on the current situation, where in the city of Prešov there is only one social enterprise dedicated to construction and no functional agencies of supported employment. At the same time young people after leaving the daily care do not have such a degree of disability that they can work in sheltered workshops. Although the sheltered workshop is one of the options that the project promoters will probably use in cooperation with the partner SED Veľký Slavkov in case they fail in initiating the establishment of a social enterprise. Within the vulnerable group of seniors, the project promoters perceive a tendency to move from institutional to community-based services. As the Relevant is managing a home care service, the organization also see the need for outreach services for seniors, which would need to be strengthened, in conjunction with the actual uncertainty in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. The development of volunteering is necessary to support people in the opportunity to realize and grow through community service, increase their competencies, experience and skills for their personal and professional development, but also to give seniors the opportunity to participate in volunteering and thus reduce their possible feelings of uselessness and abandonment. At the same time, volunteering is important for connecting marginalized youth, which can help alleviate the social exclusion of people from vulnerable groups.
Summary of project results
The main challenges of the project were: Lack of job opportunities for people from vulnerable groups. Poor awareness of the needs and obstacles in the employment of disadvantaged people and the possibilities of their employment, their insufficient preparation for the open labor market. Possibilities of helping seniors who preferred a home environment over institutional care, but also various people who have no one to help them in their independent living. Isolation, as well as the overall closure of individual communities and generations.
The following activities were implemented as part of the project: Training of work skills and Development of the target group of young adults after the end of institutional care, which were necessary as a preparation for applying the recipients on the open labor market, as well as for inclusion in the life of ordinary society. With the Employment Support activity, the project implementers tried to strengthen functional partnerships and build new ones that would support the creation of job opportunities for people from disadvantaged groups. At the same time, it was important to communicate the needs and obstacles they encounter when getting a job. As part of the New Services activity, the project implementers established the Support for Independent Living service to more efficiently meet the needs of people who live alone. With the activity Development of volunteering, the project implementers tried to mobilize people to selflessly help their neighbors and support their activities. An important contribution was the linking of individual communities and generations.
The project contributed to speeding up the approval of the intention to establish a social enterprise in the city of Prešov, which should create new job opportunities for people who are difficult to find employment (Roma, people without work skills and experience, people with disabilities). Through the new service Support for independent housing, the project helped 167 people from vulnerable groups in the form of counseling or practical assistance. By advocating for its financing, an opportunity is created for the creation of other Independent Housing Support services, which will be a long-term benefit of this activity after the completion of the process. The project implementers created 10 new partnerships with municipalities, employers as well as public sector entities in the field of providing services to vulnerable groups and thereby supported the creation of new employment opportunities and the necessary support for people from disadvantaged groups. By organizing a mini-conference and creating a comprehensive summary of the current possibility of assistance in the employment of selected groups, the project implementers contributed to the improvement of communication and better information about the employment opportunities of disadvantaged people, as well as about their needs and the obstacles they encounter when obtaining employment.