PAPI centres in Oltenia are writing projects to fight unemployment

05.08.2010

The increase in unemployment has stirred communities in Oltenia, part of the Knowledge-based Economy Project (KEP), to apply for European funds for professional training and workforce placement. Local administrations of Pleniţa, Urzicuţa, Filiaşi and Scăieşti (Dolj) as well as Corabia, Bârza, Izvoarele (Olt) and Bălceşti (Vâlcea) have already signed partnerships with specialised NGOs.

Authorities in Pleniţa are cooperating with the Local SMEs Employers’ Association to develop the social economy and have applied for funds in the Major Intervention Area 5.1 of the Sectorial Operational Programme, Human Resources Development component. Bârza and Corabia, from Olt, have partnerships with the Employers’ Federation from Oltenia Region, while Izvoarele (Olt), Filiaşi (Dolj) and Bălceşti (Vâlcea) have partnered up with the Economic-Social Counselling and Consultancy Association. Scaieşti (Dolj) authorities are cooperating with the European Centre for Rroma Integration and Promotion while Urzicuţa (Dolj) goes hand in hand with Urzicuţa Community Development Centre.

“In most cases, PAPI managers are those who coordinate writing such projects. Of course, the local administrations are now waiting for the guides to appear, because apparently the project managers will have to fulfil certain criteria. However, the logistics for writing and implementing these projects is that of PAPI”, Nicolae Cuţă, LPC for the communities. Such an project is the one aiming to create a business owned by the Local Council Pleniţa, which will train these people, offer practice in the community and try to place them on the job market.

“The City Hall is currently selecting those who wish to take such trainings, so that the programme’s dimensions can be estimated. Taking into account the needs, we will pick one or two specialisations which trainees will learn. They will get to practice in the community and a job fair will be organised, where potential employers will be able to see the trainees’ accomplishment. Throughout the project, PAPI will function as a job club, where trainees will be able to monitor job offers in the area, write and submit CVs and search for a job online”, Cuţă explains.

EU funds – vital for fighting joblessness

Ionel Dumitrescu, president of the Local SMEs Employers’ Association Calafat, say there are already a few options available for the future specializations. “Amongst these are construction and social services. We will also create a company which we will use in the benefit of the community. For now, we are working on the project”, Ionel Dumitrescu says. During the course, trainees will receive a subsidy so they don’t need to get a pay check somewhere else. Even if the amount of the subsidy has not been established as of yet, it will also come from structural funds.

Eligibility criteria

The projects submitted for the POS DRU DMI 6.1 “Developing social inclusion” must have a number of operations, like: developing the capacity of getting a job and the adaptability of people with low qualifications; supporting partnerships between all relevant social factors, such as unions, public institutions, owners’ associations, NGOs, companies, other types of associations etc.); developing training programmes for those involved in the social services system.

Eligible applicants include: NGOs; credit, consumer, and production cooperatives; unions; employer’s associations; research institutes; Universities etc. The total value of a project may vary between 0,5 and 5 million Euros, and the implementation period between 6 months and 3 years.

According to data published by the National Institute of Statistics, the unemployment rate in the South-West Oltenia Development Region was 10.9 percent in April 2010, well over the national rate of 8.1. At the end of July 2010, in the aforementioned region, the county of Mehedinţi had the largest unemployment (12.14%), followed by Dolj, (10,65%), Gorj (10,39%), Vâlcea (10,05%) and Olt (7,91%).

Online resurces:

Communities in Dolj, trained for the Community Project Fair