project RELEVANCE
1. Background and general objectives
The project addresses the problem of low employment rates among persons with disabilities, which is 27 p.p. lower in OECD countries than among persons without disabilities (OECD, 2022). The employment gap starts early in life as youth with disabilities face multiple barriers in schools. As a result, they more often drop out of education and become NEETs than young persons without disabilities. Prolonged unemployment negatively impacts young people's future employability, increases risk of poverty and social exclusion, and negatively affects their participation in social life (OECD 2022). Participation in employment is the best way to ensure economic autonomy and social inclusion. The interventions targeted at this group are often not tailored to their specific needs, are coming too late, and are not mainstreamed enough into all relevant policies and actions. Public employment services have difficulties in engaging this group in their activities. The job quality among those individuals who work is often unsatisfactory. Persons with disabilities are more likely to perform monotonous and repetitive tasks in their work compared to their counterparts without disability (OECD, 2022). As those tasks are more easily codified, automation could further exacerbate the skills gap and labour market disparities between people with disabilities and those without (Jetha et al., 2021; OECD, 2022). Therefore, the general objective of this project is to increase the chances of youth with disabilities entering/returning to the labour market. We will achieve this goal and change the status quo by improving the quality of support targeted at persons with disabilities in EU countries. In particular, we will develop, test and implement an innovative method of supporting young persons with disabilities in finding and maintaining good-quality and stable employment, Job Crafting (JC). The model will be universal and possible to replicate regardless of political and economic conditions and the specificity of local labour markets. After the project, thanks to mutual learning and training, many service providers, PES, European NGOs, and civil society organisations supporting young people in the process of professional activation will be able to implement it. The project also addresses the general objective of the call by engaging international policy-makers (MPEs, PES representatives) responsible for designing policies in the discussion on effective solutions aimed at mainstreaming disability in European policies and services. The projects will thus contribute to meeting one of the main priorities expressed in the EU Reinforced Youth Guarantee, EU Disability Strategy, European Skills Agenda, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - the need to strengthen the focus on persons with disabilities by providing them with tailored support that increases their skills and chances of finding and maintaining good-quality employment and improve outreach.
2. Needs analysis and specific objectives
Youth with disabilities have a lower employment rate and higher NEEt rates and are disproportionately affected by unemployment and inactivity. As set in the European Skills Agenda, having the right skills and qualifications is a prerequisite for accessing and succeeding in the labour market. We see the need to develop solutions that will increase adequate skills and allow job seekers with disabilities to find and maintain good-quality employment. Job crafting assumes comprehensive assistance that starts during the job search and continues in the workplace. Jobseekers and employers are trained on how to actively and jointly shape the tasks and duties of an employee and how to manage social relations in the workplace. Strong focus is put on developing an individual sense of agency. Job crafting does not replace traditional approaches but complements them. We believe that popularising this work method would increase the quality of support provided to persons with disabilities. Job Crafting is a flexible method that can be (1) tailored to different groups of people (regardless of their gender, education and qualifications), (2)become a form of support aimed at improving the recruitment processes conducted by various institutions, (3) become an element of the teamwork management system at a given workplace. The specific objectives of the project are: 1. Professional activation of 55 young persons with disabilities from Poland and Slovenia with the use of the Job Crafting a. At least 40% of people from the group of 55 participants selected for the test will gain employment using the Job Crafting method (local and national impact - at least three regions) b. At least 50% of people who have been employed will maintain employment with the assistance of job crafter for at least three months from the date of starting work 2. Transfer of knowledge, mutual learning and capacity building a. At least 20 European experts in professional activations will be involved in the co-design of the job-crafting model b. At least 40 European experts in professional activations will participate in training on how to use the Job Crafting model (European impact) Our target group is young unemployed people with disabilities (18-29), including NEETs and individuals living in rural areas regions. We focus on young persons with disabilities to engage them at the early stage of their labour market track when chances of success are higher. We additionally focus on residents of disfavored areas as they face more challenges in the labour market due to limited access to the labour market, training and social services. They are also more difficult for Public Employment Services to reach.
3. Complementarity with other actions and innovation
The FA has been using JC since 2018. The AF is currently the only organisation in Poland and one of the few in Europe that works with elements of JC and uses them in the professional activation of adults with disabilities. To our knowledge, no organisation has previously adapted the Job Crafting to the specific needs of young persons with disabilities. Thanks to JC, both in 2022 and 2023, over 1000 people with disabilities were employed annually within the projects carried out by the AF. JC effectively improves job satisfaction, engagement, and overall well-being among employees. Over 80% of persons who find employment after JC maintains it after six months (https://aktywizacja.org.pl/uncategorized/premiera-raportu-z-badania-barometr-skutecznej-aktywizacji/) Our previous experience with JC allows us to assume that after appropriate modifications, it will apply to the process of professional activation of young people, including NEETs. While the principles of job crafting apply to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, the specific challenges, opportunities, and priorities faced by young persons with disabilities may differ from those of older individuals. Young people have a stronger need to see the effects of their work, feel satisfaction from it, and have the opportunity to shape it. The novelty of JC lies in its focus on the "adjustment/redesign" of job positions to the employee's individual qualifications, capabilities, and predispositions. It takes place in a real work environment (e.g. during an internship). JC assumes that an employee, in consultation with the employer and in cooperation with the person monitoring the process, performs a thorough analysis of the workplace (scope of duties and activities performed, technology, ergonomics, tools, materials, and procedures). The employee suggests which activities bring him satisfaction and which are appropriate to his capabilities, predispositions, and innate abilities. Employer and employee are jointly working towards a change that will benefit both parties. The JC strengthens the sense of control and agency, allowing employees to shape tasks and relationships with other employees. Maintaining continuity of support during employment and not only during the job search is another innovation that differentiates job crafting from other, more traditional approaches, such as support from a job coach. Another innovative activity within this project is transforming the idea of Job Crafting into a universal model of professional activation applicable to young people/NEETs. This will require cooperation with organisations that have experience in activities in the professional activation of various social groups (including youth and women), research, and developing innovative and model solutions. These conditions are met by the organisations participating in the project and therefore it complements the activities they have implemented so far.