Employment opportunities and development of entrepreneurship for Roma in Serbia

1. Employment opportunities and development of entrepreneurship for Roma in Serbia Help-HilfezurSelbsthilfee.V. Employment opportunities and development of entrepreneurship for Roma in Serbia MurskaSobota, April 2014

2. Introduction Help-HilfezurSelbsthilfee.V. is a German non-governmental relief organization, registered in Germany in 1981. Help isactive worldwide in emergency assistance as well as in rehabilitation and development projects: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Haiti, Indonesia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Syria, Japan and in Southeastern Europe- Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia. The operations in Serbia- 15 years

3. Help in Serbia Help Mission in the Republic of Serbia has been operating in Serbia since November 1999 providing socio-economic assistance for vulnerable individuals refugees, internally displaced persons, minorities, women, persons with disabilities and other people in need. Main projects implemented by Help in Serbia focus on following sectors: • Socio-economic support programmesthrough micro-enterprise and development of cooperatives ( 4,680 micro business supported and 15 cooperatives. (Based on the monitoring results ,70% of the supported beneficiaries by applying Help methodology are still operational). • Support to the closure of collective centers by providing alternative housing solutions (559 units) • Business and vocational trainings and other types of support for micro businesses and cooperatives • Construction and rehabilitation projects • Humanitarian relief projects: distribution of food, hygienic items and heating fuel

4. Funding and donors The value of the implemented projects in Serbia in the previous 15 years amounts to 28 million of EUR. Our main foreign and donors from Serbia: • The German Foreign Office • The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development • The German Embassy in Serbia • The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia • The Caritas Luxembourg • The Netherlands Government • The British Government • The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) • The Serbian authorities, ministries and local self-governments and other Since 2004, the Serbian authorities are financially contributing to the projects.

5. Employment opportunities and development of entrepreneurship for Roma in Serbia Projects aimed at improvement of living conditions and of the status of Roma in Serbia • The humanitarian assistance as distribution of food and hygieneitems, winterization projects concerning distribution of firewood and other projects with a small scale input for improving the living conditions (construction material) and 28 families supported within the housing component. • Economic empowerment of Roma, within the income generation assistance component included, since end of 2011 in the south and central Serbia. Percentage of Roma targeted in various projects ranges between 30% and 50% (for direct assistance in the form of material or equipment for running a business and indirect where the percentage of Roma reached 83%).

6. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaRationale The Republic of Serbia has signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement and submitted a request for accession to the EU. Consequently, the issues of social inclusion and poverty reduction become a mandatory component of EU integration policy in the period to come. The Strategy for improvement of the Status of Roma in the Republic of Serbia and other relevant national and local strategic documents provide the national legal framework. The Roma community is one of the largest ethnic groups in Serbia (Census 2011- 147,604 Roma or 2,05% , Council of Europe 450,000 Roma) and the most vulnerable. The basic characteristic of the socio-economic status: • low level of economic activity • high unemployment • almost a 100% exclusion of Roma from public institutions. Two basic factors contributing to the unfavorable position of Roma in the labor market and confining the majority of Roma to low-paid and temporary occupations are: 1) low level of education and vocational training, and 2) discrimination by potential employers.

7. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaObjectives The overall objective of the projects are to contribute to the inclusion of marginalized Roma and other socially vulnerable population groups into the social and economic life of the country and reduction of poverty among the targeted groups The specific objectives are to provide Roma and other vulnerable population groups with improved access to the labor market. The objectives are achieved through motivation for active job search, engagement in active labor market measures, establishing strategic partnerships and enhancing employment opportunities for Roma and other vulnerable population groups by encouraging entrepreneurship and development of cooperatives. Professional training focused on the professions that are needed in the local market and result in improved qualifications, competence and competitiveness of the targeted population segments in the labor market.

8. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaMain development partners Stakeholders: • Office for Human and Minority Rights, Republic of Serbia • National Employment Service-NES • Commissariat for Refugees and Migrations, Republic of Serbia • Team for Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction • Centers for Social Welfare • Local NGO’s and Students’ associations Partners: • Local self-governments included in the projects • NOVA consulting • Republican Union of waste collectors • YUROM Centre The networking and inclusion of all the partners and stakeholders on a regular base is crucial in order to achieve the project aims. Direct implementation of the project activities in Roma settlements is mandatory for spreading the information about available assistance as well as to gain trust of the Roma community.

9. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject components Project components: • Direct assistance for the development of cooperatives • Support to individual entrepreneurs among the representatives of Roma and local vulnerable population • Labor integration theme workshops and related networking activities (motivation and awareness raising, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, networking, study field visits, fairs, etc.) • Additional professional education and training for unemployed Roma and other vulnerable population groups • On-the- job training / Paid internship

10. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject component- Development of cooperatives The aim is to support the establishment and development of agricultural or other production cooperatives aiming at combining resources to more efficiently market and brand the products and thus improving the incomes of the cooperative members. The establishment of cooperatives is promoted as an appropriate solution for the legal registration of economic activities undertaken by members of the Roma communities as well as other marginalized population groups. The assistance provided: • Provision of the required equipment for the business activity, two grant schemes available, average value of 15,000 EUR, with a financial contribution by the cooperative members of 20% and 7,500 EUR with 10% financial contribution by the cooperative members • Provision of business and professional trainings for the cooperative members and adequate guidance Achieved results until April 2014: One Roma cooperative is registered (main activity- construction works) and five are in the registration phase, gathering at least 52 members- 95% Roma

11. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject component- Support to individual entrepreneurs among the representatives of Roma and local vulnerable population In order to respond to the individual needs and capacities of the target population groups the grant scheme is differentiated in two segments: • grants in the form of equipment with an average value of 2,400 EUR requiring 20% financial contribution by the beneficiary • grants in the form of equipment with an average value of 1,200 -1,500 EUR requiring 10% financial contribution by the beneficiary All beneficiaries will have to register the businesses and provide 10/15 hours for community work. In addition, Help is organizing specific business and vocational trainings for the supported beneficiaries in accordance with their needs. Achieved results: Number of supported micro businesses run by Roma is 55 in the period 2012-2014. Help’s methodology reduces the risk of failure to the minimum during the two phases of beneficiary selection. Roma beneficiaries are engaged with various activities: with construction works, production of joinery, shoe repair, hairdressers, plumber, musicians, growing vegetables, and production of clothes, wood cutting services, photo services and production of iron made products, waste collection and other.

12. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject component- Labor integration theme workshops and related networking activities This project component includes different topics on motivation and awareness raising, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, networking, study field visits, fairs, etc. The workshops are organized based on the needs Roma community is expressing to project partners, Roma NGO’s as well as directly to Help. The workshops were addressing the possibilities offered by the National Employment Service, waste collection from the heath aspect, employment opportunities in rural areas, fair visits and other. General conclusions and obstacles noted: no clear idea on how to legally start a business, fear of losing the social assistance and benefits , no information on the different employment opportunities and incentives , the presence of discrimination as the additional obstacle, need for additional advice, professional training and permanent guidance. 147 Roma participated in the theme workshops and a fair visits.

13. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject component-Additional professional education and training for unemployed Roma and other vulnerable population groups The low education levels of the Roma result in low qualifications and low-income employment. It is not employment per se what matters most, but rather the kind of employment – particularly full time jobs yielding higher incomes and requiring more skills. 15 Roma attended professional vocational trainings and 55 business trainings. The trainings are implemented through the accredited training providers and the beneficiaries are getting a certificate which enables better employment opportunities and/or better business performance. The following vocational trainings were organized: construction (facade preparation), carpenter, manufacture of stamps and engraving, glass cutter, growing vegetables and flowers and other. The Business training module consists of basic topics like management, legal issues, business plans and marketing/communication. The trainings are adopted to the educational level of the supported beneficiaries with the aim to respond to their needs in the best manner.

14. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaProject component- On-the- job training / Paid internships Within this project component Help organised paid internships for 12 Roma. The internships last for 6 months. The beneficiaries have opted for different business activities, from sewing, production of protective working cloths, production and processing of various agriculture, hairdressers, electro installation services, bookkeepers and other. 70% of the beneficiaries will continue to work for the companies they have been engaged for the on the job training.

15. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for Roma The projects are designed to achieve the following outcomes: • Empowerment of Roma and other marginalized population groups through active measures for employment creation and improvement of professional qualifications • Improved capacities of Roma NGOs through participation • in direct implementation of project activities • Mechanisms and models created and applied for better achievement of economic rights of Roma and other marginalized population • Raised awareness on education and employment opportunities • (increased number of Roma population attending some form of • education and businesses established)

16. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for RomaHelp beneficiaries at work

17. Poverty reduction and creation of employment opportunities for Roma Questions &Answers Thank you for your attention!