Activities - Erias
The ERIAS project wants to promote a comprehensive integration approach by using the expertise from different public and private stakeholders, at national and local level. An early and effective labour market integration will guarantee economic and social benefits for the TCNs, with subsequent positive fallouts for the labour market. The project seeks to promote a series of activities that will be executed by each of ERIAS’ partners. Partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Spain will implement activities for the labour market inclusion of TCNs.
The Italian partners have experience in the integration of TCNs in the labour market due to participation in related projects, such as the Labour-Int project. They will bring their know-how into the foreseen activities:
1. Identification and selection of TCNs
Italian partners will select 50 trainees, 25 of which will be potential entrepreneurs. In order to be selected, the TCNs must have unemployment status, non-EU nationality, formal/informal education or professional background, basic knowledge of Italian and a previous entrepreneurial experience or a relevant work experience in the country of origin.
2. Assessment of market demand for specialisation
A survey will be prepared by the consortium on the market demand for work force with the objective to identify companies and sectors which are the most likely to contribute to TCNs’ integration. The survey results will serve as a basis for tailoring the selection of the relevant training sectors and consequently the training offer to potential candidates.
The TCNs’ skills will be tested with the objective of developing a tailored training offer. Based on the outcome of the tests, the co-applicants will provide information, orientation and individual guidance to the TCNs employment candidates.
4. Assistance and integration into labour market
The Italian partner will develop training courses focusing on team-building and soft skills in the employment environment, Italian language, vocational and education training. Information and advice on rights and obligations, health-related aspects and on the Italian labour market will be provided. Support will also be provided to employers in terms of information on the existing legal framework.
The main objective of the Spanish partners is to increase awareness among stakeholders and SMEs about the value of diversity and the contribution of TCNs to the Spanish community and economy. The partners will focus on activities aimed at improving the coordination of local stakeholders working with TCNs. The activities are the following:
A number of workshops will be organised with stakeholders to analyse markets needs and to define actions that will guarantee the integration of TCNs in the labour market. Individual meetings with TCNs will help map their skills, so to avoid skills mismatches on the labour market.
Spanish partners will organise training seminars for TCNs focusing on economic integration, on the basic required competences to access the labour market as well as on Spanish language.
3. Mentoring and advice for TCNs
TCNs will have the opportunity to receive monitoring and advice on how to access the labour market. This initiative also includes participation in interviews and meetings with companies in search of employees.
Greek partners will engage different stakeholders, such as relevant public institutions and organizations, with the view to achieve refugees’ integration into the labour market. Five main activities will be developed in order to implement the ERIAS project.
1. Skills identification and pre-selection of candidates
The objective is to collect data about TCNs’ skills and employment background. Data will be collected through surveys and the outcomes will help further develop and share info materials on the refugees’ skills and employment status.
2. Map of labour and skills needs
Following the skills identification research, project partners will identify the existing employment opportunities as well as the needs of enterprises. The research will include online questionnaires and face-to-face meetings with representatives from the business sector.
Online training courses for TCNs will offer an overview of what is necessary to access the Greek labour market. These e-learning tools were designed to cover different aspects such as Greek language, EU law and refugee rights, skills assessment, job placement and work-based learning.
4. Info Points
The info points will be available near hotspots where the refugees reside. The objective is to provide legal information to refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants, with the view to increase refugees’ awareness on their rights and employment opportunities, and to help them find a job. The objective is also to eliminate the misinformation surrounding the refugee’s crisis.
5. Identification of enterprises willing to employ refugees
The objective of this activity is to identify enterprises willing to employ TCNs. Employers will be reached through the database of Greek International Business Association (SEGE) and other employers’ associations.
The Bulgarian partners are committed to develop an integration package for employers willing to hire refugees and migrants and to provide training modules for migrants will to start a business in Bulgaria. In order to achieve these objectives, the Bulgarian partners will analyse the TCNs situation in Bulgaria, which will help them to identify the actions required in order to support legal migration. They will also assess the labour market needs. A survey will be conducted with the view to identify employers’ needs in terms of workers’ skills. A grid will be developed to combine the results of the analysis of the TCNs situation in Bulgaria and the survey on the employers’ needs. Below you will find a description of the activities of the Bulgarian partners:
1. Guide of employers
The guide will provide information about legal, ethical and human aspects of recruiting people from third countries.
Employers from Sofia, Haskovo and Stara Zagora, where the refugee community is established, will have access to workshops on how to employ migrants from third countries, with a specific emphasis on migrant behaviour’s aspects.
The helpdesk is a tool that will offer consultancy to employers recruiting TCNs and will match labour demand and supply.
4. Training for TCNs
Training will be available in Sofia, Haskovo and Stara Zagora to prepare cover issues such as Bulgarian language, entrepreneurship and steps required to be employed or to start a business in Bulgaria.
The objective is to offer TCNs support to create start-ups in Bulgaria, providing advices related to the Bulgarian legislation related to residence permits and applying to business.
6. Brochure for TCNs
The brochure will provide practical information on the institutions to contact deadlines, restrictions, possibilities and opportunities for newcomers from third countries.
Integration Checklist for Business
The French partner will develop an integration checklist for businesses (or “toolbox”) for enterprises and Chamber training counsellors which will help enterprises to prepare for the arrival of a TCN in the work force and the training counsellors to motivate enterprises to engage TCNs.
The integration check list is to be used as reference tool for TCNs labour market insertion and will contain a series of checklists, forms, guides, tips and other elements useful for its purpose.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bretagne Region will use the expertise acquired in the frame of the AC4SME project, that aims to motivate enterprises to hire apprentices, and it will adapt the AC4SME toolbox to the needs of the ERIAS.
The integration check list is first produced based on the French context. Afterwards it is
translated into the partners’ languages and adapted to the specificities of the partner countries.
Once ready, the integration checklist will be promoted through the project website and disseminated by partners to their networks.
Vade Mecum of positive integration examples
The management of the refugees’ situation is a sensitive subject in all EU Member States, as the subject touches to a varying degree European citizen in a context of fear of terrorism, unemployment, economic uncertainty. From a general perspective, it is therefore important to convey a positive message about the integration of refugees in the host society, as subsequent benefits for the job market.
The ERIAS project will develop a Vade Mecum on positive integration examples that will identify SMEs that successfully integrated TCNs in their labour force as well as examples of successful TCNs’ entrepreneurial activities.
The Vade Mecum of positive integration examples is an opportunity to create a major awareness among stakeholders about the potential benefits of the inclusion of TCNs in the labour market. The concept of the Vade Mecum will look at the enterprise side by showing the benefits of integrating TCNs as well as what it means for TCNs to be integrated into the labour market. The Chamber network across Europe and other European business organisations will be invited to gather positive integration examples.
The Vade Mecum is to be a practical tool that will help in conveying a positive message about the integration of third country nationals in the labour market, generating major awareness with stakeholders about the potential benefits of the inclusion of third country nationals in the labour market.