Description
The project’s main objective is to promote social inclusion, through professional (re)integration, made possible by the personal, social and professional empowerment of socially disadvantaged groups. The project is centred, on one hand, in the training of the technicians and volunteers who support the target groups, and on the other, in the support to the target groups which will be socially reintegrated. It will include information/training and awareness-raising activities for those in social exclusion situations, the empowerment for their reintegration in society and the support and follow-up of the final receivers in the creation of their own job or in the adaptation to new job opportunities, either by incorporating firms or by providing useful solidarity services. The project will be developed in conjunction with a diversified group of entities selected for their nature and area of intervention, which will contribute towards the successful completion of each stage of the project.
Summary of project results
In the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto there are significant suburban communities which are socially excluded or at risk to be excluded. These are people with low qualifications, without jobs, many homeless, with limited resources and with evidence of enormous difficulty and low probability of social reintegration, without accompaniment or support. In light of this, there was clear relevance for a project targeting this group of vulnerable people and intended to promote social inclusion through professional (re)integration, made possible by their personal, social and professional empowerment. This project included the following activities: 5 training actions (3 in Lisbon and 2 in Porto) for volunteers and staff in order to be able to mentor/coach the target group – 48 people have completed the courses with success, 29 of which becoming mentors during the project; 12 training actions for the target group (9 in Lisbon and 3 in Porto) – 94 beneficiaries have successfully completed the courses; 86 of which were mentored and supported to create the conditions to find a job – 11 gave up, 2 decided to attend additional professional training. Initial targets were surpassed with one exception – only 34 beneficiaries found a job (45 were expected) up to 6 months after the end of the project. This is still a noteworthy outcome, taking into account the labour market situation in Portugal, where the unemployment rate is still above 10%. Regarding the other indicators, the project has trained 45 volunteers and staff for social support and trained 94 people at risk. The project had a significant contribution for the promoter NGO, not only building new capacities and skills for the staff and usual volunteers but also gaining experience and knowledge on dealing with target groups with low qualifications and preparing them to find a job.
Summary of bilateral results