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Part III: Support services in the field of work
You can get more information about these laws on the website of Riigi Teataja at www.riigiteataja.ee
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What is entailed in registration with Töötukassa and why is it useful?
What services can registered unemployed people get through Töötukassa?
Part III of the material discusses the support services to help foreigners in the field of working in Estonia – Töötukassa, EURES, career services, job portals. This part also introduces the opportunities to get in-service training and to participate in informal learning activities.
A great source of information regarding various work related support services and job offers is available at the official Work In Estonia website.
The Work in Estonia portal is a gateway for foreigners interested in working in the country. It contains a lot of useful information about coming to Estonia, working and living here. Read more at www.workinestonia.com.
3.1. Töötukassa – “Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund”
The responsibilities of Töötukassa are the implementation of active labour market policies, management and payment of unemployment and work ability benefits, provision of employment services to jobseekers and employers, and assessment of work ability.
The legal basis of the activities of Töötukassa is found in two laws: the Unemployment Insurance Act which describes the unemployment insurance system and the organisation of Töötukassa, and the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act, which contains the provisions concerning job mediation and related services.
In order for Töötukassa to help you, you must first contact yourself with Töötukassa. When you register yourself as unemployed, your individual situation will be assessed and a job mediation consultant will help you in your efforts to find new employment. Registration is a condition to receive unemployment related benefits. . If you are not unemployed (or do not meet the criteria to register as such), but are looking for (other) employment, you can register as jobseeker in order to gain access to job mediation services..
Töötukassa offers the following services to registered unemployed people: • Job search assistance in a format of job clubs or workshops aimed at preparing participants for job search and working life, providing an overview of the labor market situation and job opportunities. • Career information and career counselling provides information related to job-seeking and studying possibilities and helps to make informed decisions concerning career development. • Job mediation is a service that helps to find suitable positions for job-seekers and the unemployed. This service is free of charge. Information about working abroad is available from Töötukassa’s EURES consultants. • Labour market training gives a person the knowledge and skills needed to secure employment. Person`s existing skills and knowledge, the positions which are or will be available on the labour market, and the requirements of potential future positions are all taken into account when selecting
the most appropriate training. The training can last for up to one year. • Support for obtaining qualification compensates the costs and state fees of acquiring documents proving a qualification (incl. a professional or competence certificate and a driver’s license for motor vehicles). • Work practice is a labour market service to acquire practical work experience, supplementing the knowledge and skills needed for a job. • Coaching for working life is temporary paid work which does not require professional or special training. Unemployed people can only be asked to do public work if they wish to do so. • Work practice is a labour market service for the purpose of restoring work habits or shaping initial work habits, as well as increasing the unemployed person’s social inclusion. • Wage subsidy aims to support the hiring of people who are long-term unemployed, young, of decreased working ability, recipients of international protection or who have been released from prison. The salary is partially compensated for the employer with this measure. • Business start-up subsidy is a financial aid granted for the registered unemployed who would like to start with their own business. • Business mentoring and coaching is intended for those who have received business start-up subsidyto support the implementation and sustainability of their business plan.
• Adaptation of work premises and equipment means making the employer’s building, rooms, workplace or work means accessible and usable for people with a disability or long-term heath disorder. An application for compensation of the costs of adjusting workrooms and equipment is submitted by the employer to Töötukassa. • Provision of technical aids a person who needs it for working due to his or her health disorder. • Communication support at interviews is a service for the unemployed who because of their disability or health disorder need help in communicating with the employer at a job interview. • Working with a support person is a service for those who • need assistance and supervision in working. The support person helps the person to get used to the working environment or colleagues and practice work tasks. • Individual job placement service supports clients whose employment is difficult due to long-term unemployment, social and other special needs, disability or longterm health problems or other particular obstacles and who can not be employed by other services. • Psychological, debt or addiction counselling is available for unemployed with such problems. • Occupational rehabilitation is designed for people who have many obstacles due to their disability or illness and who therefore need help from different professionals or the rehabilitation team to go to work or continue working.
You can find all the contacts of Töötukassa at their web page www.tootukassa.ee.
You can find the advisers’ contacts on the Estonian website of EURES at www.eures.ee/contact. You can also send an e-mail to EURES Estonia: eures@tootukassa.ee.
• Peer support is for people who need the support of an individual with a similar disability or illness. The objectives of peer support is to help the client in coping with their disability or illness, to boost their motivation and self-confidence and to prepare them for job seeking and working life or the continuation of work.
For more information related to labour market services offered by Töötukassa, please refer to: •
3.2. EURES (European Employment Services)
One of the principles of the European Union is the free movement of employees. Every citizen of the European Union has the right to live, work, seek a job and attain pension in any of the 28 countries in the European Union. The regulation of free movement of European Union employees also applies in the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) as well as in Switzerland.
EURES (European Employment Services) is a co-operation network established in 1993 and supporting the principle of free movement of employees; it includes not only the EU member states but also the members of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. There are over 850 EURES advisers in 32 countries of the network, providing information about vacant jobs, living and working conditions and safe job seeking in all countries of the network.
In terms of supporting free movement of employed persons and their families it is important that the persons would not lose their social security when entering employment or looking for work in another country. In order to avoid loss of social security the employed persons and their families moving within the Community have been ensured: • Equal treatment: the person having moved from one country to another is entitled to equal treatment with the person who has permanently lived and worked in one country. It means that granting of benefits should not be affected by citizenship; • Aggregation of insurance periods: when applying for benefits the completed periods of insurance, working or living in another country are taken into consideration; • Preservation of rights: the benefits a person is entitled to are also paid in case the person goes to live, work or look for work in another member country. In Estonia, the EURES activities are co-ordinated by Töötukassa. There are 5 EURES advisers in Töötukassa’s service outlets, working daily to advise job seekers and employers. Basic information about the EURES services is also available in all departments of Töötukassa and via the hotline 15501. EURES advisers are working in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu and Narva.
The Estonian website of EURES at www.eures.ee provides lots of useful information about working in Estonia, like: • Labour Market information • Looking for job in Estonia • How to apply for a job • Checklist for before and after you arrive in Estonia • Registration and residence permits • Employment contract • Acknowledgement of diplomas and qualifications • Starting a business • The social security system in Estonia • Incomes and taxation • Right to unemployment benefits • Living in Estonia • Finding school • Vehicle & driver´s licence
If you wish to start working in another European country, the first step could be signing up for a user account at the international job seeking portal of EURES and entering your CV into the portal. Also, you should familiarise yourself with the living and working conditions of the possible destination countries – you can find all the necessary information in the EURES Estonia portal, section “Living and working conditions in Europe” (“Elamis- ja töötamistingimused Euroopas”).
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the EURES advisers of your area.
3.3. Labour mediation portals / recruitment companies
Labour mediation portals The largest labour mediation portals in Estonia are: • www.cv.ee/ • www.cvkeskus.ee/
3.4. Career services
Töötukassa’s career services
Career counselling Töötukassa’s career counselling supports people in making informed decisions concerning their career development. The counselling encompasses questions and topics related to studies and to the choice of job and profession.
Career counsellors are working in all regional offices of Töötukassa. Career counselling is intended for registered unemployed people and also for employees having received a redundancy notice, as well as other people wishing to obtain those services, including working adults.
Career counselling can help you if: • you have no training needed for employment; • you have no earlier work experience and only little knowledge about the working world; • you have not been working for a long time and your professional skills have become outdated; • you are unable to work in your profession due to health reasons or other important reasons; • you cannot find work in your profession because there is no demand for it in the labour market; • you wish to assess your outlooks in order to choose a profession and find a suitable training and job; • you need advice for better results in job seeking.
Career counselling is available in Estonian, Russian and English and takes place individually or in groups. If you are registered as unemployed, turn to your personal consultant in order to book a time for a career counselling sessioon. In case you are not registered as unemployed, you can Recruitment companies Private recruitment companies can help in finding necessary specialists. See link below for a list of companies offering recruitment services: •
book a time for a career counselling session either by turning to a regional office of Töötukassa or via the self service portal of Töötukassa (accessible via www.tootukassa.ee; personal ID-card is needed for logging in). Also, in case you are not registered as unemployed, it is possible to receive career counselling via Skype of through e-mail. Individualcounselling normally takes 45 minutes but the intended results may need more time. This is why you can attend several counselling sessions if necessary.
Group counselling takes place among a group of more people (usually 8 – 16). Communication in a group enables you to learn from other’s experiences and share your own, develop your teamwork and self-expression skills, and find support in group mates.
Career information rooms Career information rooms provide information in Estonian, English and Russian about job seeking as well as advice and support in making work-related choices. Career information rooms are opened in all regional offices of Töötukassa. You can see samples of job application documents there, as well as materials introducing various learning and working opportunities. You can use a computer with Internet access to create your own job application documents and to participate in job competitions. Career information specialists are working in career information rooms; they can help you with answering questions (e.g. guide you in preparing your job application documents and in finding job offers).). Anyone can come to a career information room.
Education-related support services You can find more information about education-related support services in the family or studying modules of the Welcoming Programme.
When should you turn to a career counsellor?
How does career counselling take place?
What is a career information room?
You can find more info and all the contacts of Töötukassa on their website: www.tootukassa.ee.
Read more about the services of Rajaleidja centres (in Estonian and Russian) on their website: www.rajaleidja.ee
Rajaleidja centres Young people aged 7–26 years can get career information from Rajaleidja (Pathfinder) centres in all of Estonia.
Parents can turn to any Rajaleidja centres to support their child’s future choices. The centres provide information about education opportunities, labour market situation and professions, as well as career counselling. The service is free for young people of up to 26 years of age and their parents.
Career services of higher education institutions
The career services of higher education institutions serve those entering the universities, as well as students and graduates. The main services are career counselling, guidance in job seeking, and mediation of jobs and practical training placements.
Read more about the career services of major Estonian universities: • University of Tartu: • • Tallinn University (in Estonian and English): •• • Tallinn University of Technology (in Estonian and English): ••• • Estonian University of Life Sciences (in Estonian): •••• • Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (in Estonian): •••••
3.5. In-service training opportunities
Work related training
With work related training, you can improve your work related knowledge and skills various fields, in order to increase your professional qualification and be more competitive in the labour market. Work related training for adults is provided by many private training institutions, vocational education institutions, higher education institutions and professional associations. Work related training is usually paid for by the trainees themselves or their employers, but there are also free training courses. If you pay for your training yourself, the Income Tax Act provides you with the right to an income tax refund in the extent of the amount paid for the training, if the training organisation has a license for in-service training or has filed the relevant economic activity notice with the Estonian Education Information System.
Working people can take a study leave of up to 30 calendar days per calendar year for the training courses, if the training organisation has a license for in-service training or has filed an economic activity notice. During a study leave for in-service training, the average salary is paid for 20 days. An employer is obligated to allow an employee to participate in training courses. An employee must not be fired because he or she wishes to take in-service courses.
Estonian higher education institutions also offer in-service training. Some examples:
• Tallinn University of Technology: www.ttu.ee/taiendusoppijale/ (EST) • University of Tartu: https://www.ut.ee/en/LLL • Narva College of the University of Tartu http://www.narva.ut.ee/ru/ kursy-povysheniya-kvalifikacii-2 (RUS)
Informal training
In informal training, one can learn exactly what one finds interesting, thus developing oneself and acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to cope in life.
Informal training is provided by informal training centres, folk universities, cultural centres and many other centres. See a list of organisations offering informal training here: •••••• The major organisations offering informal training are for example: • Tallinn Folk University: www.kultuur.ee/ (EST) • Tartu Folk High School: https://rahvaylikool.ee/ tartu-folk-high-school/
For the courses, one can take a study leave of up to 30 calendar days per calendar year, pursuant to the Adult Education Act. If the study leave is granted for work-related self-development then the average salary is paid for 20 days during the study leave.
But mostly, the trainees have to pay for the informal courses. Pursuant to the Income Tax Act, a trainee is eligible for income tax exemption in the extent of the amount paid for the courses, if the training organisation has a license or has filed the relevant economic activity notice with the Estonian Education Information System.
Training for the unemployed
http://www.tootukassa.ee/eng/ content/services/training
You will assess and analyse the training need together with your consultant.
If you have already registered with Töötukassa, your job mediation consultant is your preferred contact person.
Labour market training is provided to the unemployed by Töötukassa. The participation in training courses is agreed in the individual job seeking plan. Töötukassa help line 15501 (calling from abroad, use +372 614 8500). Skype: tootukassa email: info@tootukassa.ee Address: Lasnamäe 2, Tallinn 11412. See more on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research:
The list of informal education schools is available on the website of Estonian Nonformal Adult Education Association (in Estonian) at www.vabaharidus.ee
You can get more information about the Adult Education Act on the website of Riigi Teataja at www.riigiteataja.ee
In what cases can one participate in labour market trainings?
