ACCESS TO THE LABOUR MARKET ROMA IN AN EXPANDING EUROPE Challenges for the future José Manuel Fresno García

CONTENTS 1.Foundation Secretariado General Gitano 2.Social Situation of the Gipsy Community in Spain 3.Employment and Roma Community 4.Acceder Program 5.The use of the Structural Funds with the Roma Community: Key elements

FOUNDATION SECRETARIADO GENERAL GITANO Non-profit non-governmental organisation Dates back to the 1960’s; foundation in Purpose: improvement of living standards for the Roma community. Interculturality Activities: Goal-oriented & Non goal-oriented activities Volume of activity in 2002 was 11,500,000 euros. partnership 70 public administrations 400 staff professionals. Work is carried out in 14 of Spain’s 17 Autonomous Communities 40 work centres. 40,000 direct beneficiaries and 60,000 indirect beneficiaries Participation in different fora and international networks

SOCIAL SITUATION OF THE ROMA COMMUNITY IN SPAIN (1) – people –45% in Andalusia –Heterogeneity and processes of social change and cultural transformation. –High birth rate. 40% under 16 years of age

SOCIAL SITUATION OF THE ROMA COMMUNITY IN SPAIN (2) n Strengths High progress in the last 30 years –Recognition as full citizens: constitutional law, participation in elections, involvement in social movements… –Access to the welfare state system: housing, education, health… –High access to integrated habitats: migration from rural to urban areas… –Improving recogntion of the Roma cultural identity

SOCIAL SITUATION OF THE ROMA COMMUNITY IN SPAIN (3) n Weaknesses Strong situation of social exclusion –Low educational level; early school dropouts –Generally losing touch with traditional professions and labour activities –Poor housing and living conditions –Inadequate access and use (either due to abuse or shortage) of general services –Prejudice, stereotypes and high level of social discrimination –Lack of cultural recognition

EMPLOYMENT AND ROMA Community (1)

EMPLOYMENT AND ROMA COMMUNITY (2) Their traditional professions are in recession or require a strong re-conversion Very few Roma have access to the offer of normalised professional training. The life conditions of many Roma together with the social prejudices and stereotypes, affect in a negative way. Likewise, the cultural aspects (habits, traditions of re­ ference, etc.) affect in a negative way, in the majority of cases, when trying to access a job. Otherwise, there are increasing expectatives of the Roma Community accessing the labour market.

EMPLOYMENT AND ROMA COMMUNITY (3) n Context: Employment : priority on the European Union's political agenda. EEE National Action Plans for Employment Use of Structural Funds ( ): ESF, especially High growth of the Gross Domestic Product: double than European average (SPAIN) High rates of employment creation: 1 of every 5 European new employments (SPAIN) High demand of non qualified labour

ACCEDER PROGRAM MULTIREGIONAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAM “FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION” ACTIONS AIMED AT THE ROMA POPULATION

ACCEDER PROGRAM (1) OBJECTIVES: To facilitate the Roma/Gypsy population's access to mainstream training and employment To provide Roma/Gypsies with professional qualifications and access to labour contracts by meeting their needs To adapt and make general vocational training and employment services more accessible to unemployed Roma/Gypsies with a view to facilitating their access to the labour market on an equal footing with the rest of the citizens. To raise awareness regarding prejudice and discriminatory practices affecting Roma/Gypsies To foster more active policies regarding the Roma/Gypsy community

ACCEDER PROGRAM (2) METHOD Intercultural teams working on Integrated employment itineraries: guidance, information, professional social counselling, basic skills training and vocational training as well as specific formula for labour mediation. This intervention is being implemented through : n 1. Individualised employment access itineraries 2. Partnership: public and private entities n 3. Lobbying: influence on the employment policies n

ACCEDER PROGRAM (3) FUNDING ESF: % Feder: 6.20% Central Government: 6.40% Autonomous Government: 17% Local Government: 14 % Others: 1% OBJ 1 & OBJ 3 More than 70 public and private partners in the program: funding & monitoring

ACCEDER PROGRAM (4) Municipalities where work is taking place

ACCEDER PROGRAM (5) BENEFICIARIES PROFILE MEN: 7,418 WOMEN: 7,113 ROMA: 9,711 NON ROMA: 4,820 49% 51% 33.1 % 66.9 %

ACCEDER PROGRAM (6) AGE BENEFICIARIES PROFILE

ACCEDER PROGRAM (7)

ACCEDER PROGRAM (8) NUMBER OF CONTRACTS (APRIL 2003) Contracts: 7,287 Contracts: 291% Foreseen contracts 2006

ACCEDER PROGRAM (9) DURATION OF THE CONTRACTS (APRIL 2003)

ACCEDER PROGRAM (10) HIRED PEOPLE PROFILE

ACCEDER PROGRAM (11) HIRED PEOPLE (December 2002) Average: 1.70 contracts/person

ACCEDER PROGRAM (12)

ACCEDER PROGRAM (13) Key elements: – Use of specific tools and revised methods –Strong partnership – Individual itineraries that include training and job seeking actions. –Long term projects –Participation of the Roma community –Intercultural teams –Sinergy between local, regional, national and European level (ESF, Council of Europe Development Bank) –Experience of the solicitor entity

THE USE OF THE STRUCTURAL FUNDS WITH THE ROMA COMMUNITY Key elements: –Mainstreaming the Roma issue in the Communitary frameworks –Targeting specific Roma programs with the Structural Funds. –Promotion of the participation in the decision making (“Empowerment”) trough monitoring committees. –Impact on a specific target group at the local level (“Targeting territory”) –Networking different experiences & supporting good practices

ACCEDER PROGRAM BUDAPEST, José Manuel Fresno García