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CLOSING CEREMONY OF PROJECT “FOSTERING EFFECTIVE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES INTO THE LABOUR MARKET”

On Monday, 28 February 2011, with the beginning at 10:30, the closing ceremony of the project “Fostering Effective Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into the Labour Market” was held at The Regent Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb. At the beginning of the ceremony, Ms Ankica Paun Jarallah, Director General of the Croatian Employment Service, addressed the audience. “The competitiveness of persons with disabilities on the labour market needs to be considered from the moment they acquire the disability, throughout the process of professional rehabilitation, which includes education and working and social skills’ enhancement, and during the recruitment process and placement to a suitable workplace”, Ms Paun Jarallah said.

The project is implemented in the scope of Component IV of the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) programme, “Human Resources Development”. The project was implemented by a consortium led by the Austrian consultancy company Hulla & Co Human Dynamics, the remaining members being the French company ADECRI and the BBRZ company from Austria. The project partners included the Croatian Employment Service and the Fund for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of persons with Disabilities (the latter being responsible for Component 3 of the project).

The overall objective of the project is to promote social inclusion of persons with disabilities and their integration to the labour market, while its purpose is to increase the employability of persons with disabilities and assist their access to the labour market through developing active labour market measures (ALMM) on the regional level. The main recommendations from the Study on the Situation and Needs of Persons with Disabilities on the Labour Market were presented on the closing ceremony. Furthermore, in the scope of the project potential project applicants to the grant scheme “Fostering Effective Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into the Labour Market” were educated, a training of advisers – agents on the labour market was conducted, and three manuals (for persons with disabilities, employers and labour market agents) and eight regional action plans for employment of persons with disabilities were finalised.

A visible segment of the project is also the unique web portal for persons with disabilities, employers and wider public, created in cooperation with the Fund for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, www.fond.hr.

Three projects, awarded in the scope of the grant scheme were presented as well. The Association for Promoting Inclusion presented a project on inclusion of long term unemployed persons with intellectual difficulties to the labour market, and the Croatian Guide Dog and Mobility Association a project on employment of blind persons. Representatives of URIHO - Institution for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities presented the first virtual workshop for persons with disabilities in Croatia, which has the aim of helping persons with disabilities in gaining working experience.

The conclusion of the closing ceremony is that effective inclusion of persons with disabilities into the labour market requires a synergic and coordinated approach of all social segments, starting from the health and social welfare system, the education system, and employment, together with the extremely significant element of support from family and organisations for persons with disabilities.

A contribution to the conference was also given by:

Ms Valerija Kubalova, Human Dynamics, who concisely presented the project results.

Ms Mirjana Zećirević, Croatian Employment Service, who presented the development of the employment support system for persons with disabilities.

Mr Jean Daniel Leroy, ADECRI, France, presented Component I – from the study to action plans.

Ms Sandra Benčić, Human Dynamics, Croatia, presented the process of drafting eight action plans, and the proposal of mechanisms for their implementation.

Mr Anton Sabo, BBRZ, Austria, presented Component II – strengthening of capacities of labour market agents in fostering employment of persons with disabilities.

Mr Ivan Đuvlat, Fund for professional rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, presented Component III of the project – setting up a unique web portal for persons with disabilities.

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Travanj 2013.