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Promotion of first job seeker employment in the field of social care – trainees

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On the labour market the number of graduates in social sciences that match the professional profile in the field of social care. Due to a high number of organizations operating in the field of social security and their staff problems the opportunities for trainees are limited and thus also the employment of qualified staff. The »Trainees« programme will encourage the social care organizations to employ trainees at least for the period of traineeship and thus enable better opportunities and chances to the graduates in social sciences and indirectly it will strengthen public institutes and non-governmental organizations that will recruit new suitably qualified personnel to perform activities in social care. Indirectly, this will have an impact on the quality of services in the assistance provided to persons in social distress and with problems due to financial difficulties and social exclusion.

The Programme has been implemented by the Social Chamber of Slovenia that will publish several public tenders in the period from 2010 to 2013 to select employers. Under the programme the funds amounting to EUR 10,103,569.00 were allocated for a five-year period of which the EU contribution equals 85% or EUR 8,588,033.65.

The main purpose of the programme is to provide 500 posts to first job seekers from the target group who meet the conditions of traineeship in social care for a period not exceeding 12 months and on the job training in this field to acquire and strengthen abilities, knowledge and skills.

In 2010, there were 134 persons included in the programme who will be trainees in various social care institutions (social work centres, societies, day care and work centres, public institutes…).

»My name is N.P. and I was unemployed for a year. Soon after my graduation I registered at the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). I started to look for my first job. I was sending job applications for the posts employing social workers that were published at the ESS as well as to those not published. I sent up to 30 applications a week. But everything was in vain. Most of them did not even reply and there were some negative replies. During that time I waited for the tender of the Social Chamber of Slovenia for the »Trainees« project co-financed by the European Social fund. Every month I would send applications to social care organizations. Before the summer 2010 some organizations let me know to contact them in case of the tender. After the publication of the tender I sent 40 applications and received 5 invitations to the interview, some replies were negative and the majority of applications generated no response. I went for the interviews and got a positive answer by an organization providing psycho-social assistance to children and youngsters having problems growing up. On 1 November 2010 I concluded my first employment contract for a period of one year.«