I am excited about being part of initial change for employment of disadvantaged people in Kosovo, says training participant

Published: Dec 22, 2015 Reading time: 2 minutes
I am excited about being part of initial change for employment of disadvantaged people in Kosovo, says training participant
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In Kosovo weighted by high rate of unemployment, engagement of impaired is very rare. The topics remains out of main concern of media and most of population labour under biases or simply are not well informed. Some supportive laws have been already approved, but they are not easily enforced by authorities. At the end of October People in Need (PIN) together with his local partners HandiKos and Kosovo Association of Blind (KAB) organized the second part of training for labour counsellors in Pristina, Kosovo to address this situation.

The classes were carried out by Czech experts Jana Brezinova and Jana Loskotova from Rytmus agency. Sixteen participants, selected from almost 200 applications, received all necessary theoretical grounds as well as practical tools to provide job-counselling service in supported employment for people with disabilities. The training is part of larger PIN project funded by European Commission.

“For the last three years I’ve studied how to help people with disabilities, therefore I applied for this position in very first moment I seen the advertisement. Now after the course I feel even more excited about being part of this initial change for disadvantaged people employment. Even if I’m not going to be chosen, I’ll have no regrets to take part in the training, because new knowledge will help me in future career with helping them,” stated one of the participants.

First labour counsellors in Kosovo

It was very encouraging to see how future counsellors are enthusiastic and determined about their mission. During November eight of them are going to be selected and they will begin their work from January 2016. PIN, HandiKos and KAB will provide them with full support to succeed in inclusion of disadvantaged people. Their job will include not only job acquiring advisement, but a full guiding from skill assessment, over mediation with employers and in workplace support during the training period. Also employers can gain assistance and grants in adjustment of workspace environment.

For Kosovo itself it’s not only important step towards integration of disadvantaged groups of citizens and a prejudice reduction, but also historical moment, because these counsellors are going to be very first in all country.

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Autor: Pavel Bělíček