What is JOBS

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What is JOBS?

• A joint project of the Bulgarian Ministry of
  Labour and Social Policy and UNDP
• Support to entrepreneurship and job creation in
  areas facing high unemployment
• A network of 42 business centres and 10 business
  incubators (BC/BI) across Bulgaria providing
  services to micro and small enterprises,
  unemployed people and agricultural producers
• Special business and employment promotion
  initiatives in minority communities

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Minority support initiatives

• The JOBS for Roma project financed by the Swedish
  International Development Cooperation Agency
  SIDA (2004 2007) 2 business centres based in
  Roma neighbourhoods in Burgas and Pazardjik
• The NCCEDI/UNDP project Urbanisation and Social
  Development of Areas with Disadvantaged Minority
  Populations financed by the EU Phare Programme
  (2004 2006) employment and business start-up
  services provided in 6 minority communities
• The Roma Inclusion through Business Support
  RIBS project financed by the UK, Switzerland and
  UNDP (2006-2009) replicates the JOBS for Roma
  experience in 2 minority communities in Peshtera
  and Elhovo

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The JOBS Network
Romania
Serbia
Business Centre JOBS for Roma Urbanisation RIBS
Project
Macedonia
Turkey
Greece
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Challenges and problems

• Entrenched segregation and exclusion from the
  process of social development and the job market,
  cases of discrimination
• Multiple and diverse sub-groups with different
  cultural identities, ethnic affiliations and
  denominations
• Widespread illiteracy, poor educational
  attainment and qualification, low business
  development potential
• Low incomes and a culture of poverty clashing
  with long-term investment in education and
  personal development
• Relatively poor transparency and forms of
  dependency within the Roma environment
• Lack of trust between the Bulgarian and the Roma
  ethnic groups

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Work in minority communities The underpinning
principles

• Community participation
• Mobilisation of local resources
• Partnership
• Respect for one another
• Joint contributions to development
• Building local capacity to make sure activities
  will be sustainable over time

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A specific mechanism The business centre

• A local non-governmental organisation created in
  partnership between public and private sector
  stakeholders
• BC founders
• Local institutions the Municipality, the Labour
  Office
• Business representatives a local bank,
  entrepreneurs
• Citizen organisations active in the community
• BC team pooling experts from different ethnic
  backgrounds
• Assessment and analysis of the local situation
  and the needs of the community
• Design and provision of a service package
  tailored to the specific local environment

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Joint efforts

• Support, methodology and expertise from MLSP,
  NCCEDI and UNDP within the JOBS Project
• Financial support from international donors for
  pilot initiatives and targeted action in minority
  communities (Sweden, UK, Switzerland, EU,
  UNDP)
• Support from the local governments (the
  municipalities grant for free premises for
  implementation of project activities and are
  directly involved in BC establishment and
  management)
• Cooperation with other institutions and
  organisations
• Direct community participation (minority members
  are directly engaged in BC establishment and
  management and on the BC team)
• Readiness of the target group to benefit from BC
  assistance

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Key focus areas

• Increasing employability
• Promoting and supporting entrepreneurship
  (assistance to active companies and business
  starters)
• 3. Job placement assistance
  (employment brokerage services)

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Employment promotion services

• Motivational training
• Training in job-searching skills, preparation of
  job application papers, interviewing skills
• Information and consultations about finding jobs
  and enrolling in appropriate training courses
• Vocational training and retraining courses
• Language courses and computer skills training
• Internship opportunities

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Business support services

• Training (in Start-Your-Business, basic finance,
  small firm management, marketing)
• Assistance with company registration, legal, tax
  and accounting advice
• Advocacy in relations with public institutions
  and banks
• Business planning
• Information and advisory services
• Support to find clients and suppliers
• Staff recruitment assistance
• Promotion, participation in industry fairs and
  events
• Direct access to microfinance

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Microfinance

• Challenges
• Extremely difficult access to business finance,
  lack of credit experience, no credit history and
  collateral
• Insecurity inability to make long-term
  financial commitments
• Targeted assistance is needed to build basic
  financial management and planning skills
• Financial mechanisms designed offering easier
  terms which take into account community
  specifics
• Financial leasing for purchase of business
  equipment up to BGN 25,000 (12,500 euro 9 months
  of grace 4 years to repay the lease)
• Start-up grants up to BGN 2,000 enabling beginner
  entrepreneurs to cover pre-start costs for their
  business (1,000 euro the grant can be used to
  cover the cost of business fees and permits,
  acquisition of supplies and assets, insurance,
  training, etc.)

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Job placement assistance

• Employment brokerage services licensed at the BC
• Registration, training and career guidance
• Development of working habits, advocacy when
  starting a job
• Encouraging employers to hire Roma people
• Synergies with other job market players the
  Labour Offices, private job agencies, employers,
  etc.

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Results achieved at end-March 2007
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Our experience What we learned

• Adapt your model and approach to the specific
  local environment
• BC based inside the minority neighbourhood,
  ethnically pluralistic teams joining together
  Roma and Bulgarian staff
• Different models
• new BC (Burgas and Pazardjik)
• visiting business consultant (6 communities under
  the Urbanisation Project)
• window offices attached to existing BCs (Elhovo
  and Peshtera)
• The active participation of the community is the
  single most decisive factor to make a model
  successful

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JOBS Project contacts

• JOBS Project
• Central Coordination Unit
• 131 Tsarigradsko Chaussee Blvd, ??? Centre
• 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax ( 359 2) 976 78 37
• E-mail office_at_jobs-bg.org
• www.jobs-bg.org