1.3.7 CSA in Action: Seville, Spain

Results and follow up for CSA The stakeholders that signed the CSA and were actively involved in the CSA in Action in different roles and capacities, evaluated very positively the implemented Governance model and also the individualised piloting experiences run in the local territory of Lordelo do Ouro. All the stakeholders had the chance, throughout the CO.RE project, to establish a local network which could be further developed in order to strengthen the community and its development.

1.3.7 CSA in Action: Seville, Spain

The territory

In Spain, the CO.RE piloting phase has been implemented in the Province of Seville, which has a surface of 14.042,3 Km2 and a population of 1.928.962 inhabitants. The population has grown by 30,48% in the last 20 years, and represents 22,9% of the entire Region of Andalucía. Within this context, the Spanish group wanted to find out about the population of the province of Seville who were living in conditions putting them at risk of social exclusion and work with this group of people under the CO.RE framework. As a starting point, they working group decided to base its work on different articles from the Spanish Constitution: article 9, establishing that Public authorities must guarantee effective equal rights for all, and promote the participation of all citizens in political, economic, cultural and social life; and article 35, stating that all Spanish people have the duty and right to work, and to the free election of profession and promotion through work. Accordingly, the central aspect of the Spanish project was the definition of social groups that may be considered at risk of social exclusion, and thus potential beneficiaries of CO.RE measures. Taking into account the legislation, these are the categories of people that may be considered at risk of social exclusion:  People receiving minimum income support or similar benefits and members of the unit of co-existence of the recipients.  People who have no access to benefits.  People lacking the required period of residence or remuneration (for depletion of perception of the legally established maximum period of perception).  Young people aged between 18 and 30 years, from child protection institutions.  People with addiction problems, in rehabilitation and re-integration programmes.  Prison inmates, and former prison inmates.  Institutionalised Minors whose position gives them access to employment, those who are on probation status and former inmates.  People of alternative accommodation centres, authorised by the Autonomous Communities.  People from prevention services and social integration authorised by the Autonomous Communities.

The framework that the Spanish team decided to work with was the so called Social Insertion Companies (SIC)7 that support the entrance into the labour market of people at risk of exclusion. In the region of Andalucía, SIC are regulated by the Decree n. 193/2010 that establishes the qualification process and creates the Register of Companies of Insertion in Andalusia.

The creation of SICs are already promoted by article 169,3 of the Statutes of Autonomy of Andalusia, that states that “public powers will design and implement policies for the employment of social groups with special difficulties to access to employment, giving special attention to those groups at risk of social exclusion”. The CSA analyzed the factors of exclusion in the province of Sevilla and also the opportunities for inclusion presented in the territory throughout the SICs. The Spanish team elaborated a plan of action, which was an integral part of the CSA, signed by all the stakeholders in the initial phase of the local actions design.

The beneficiaries

The piloting phase was designed for all those who were or are current workers in the Social Insertion Companies or socially inserted former workers, whose skills reinforcement was both advisable and needed in order to guarantee their autonomy and further insertion in the labour market. The Spanish CO.RE partners, namely ONECO Consultoria y Movilidad, Taller de Antropologia y Ciencas Sociales Aplicadas (Taller-ACSA) and Agencia de Servicios Sociales y Dependencia de Andalucia (ASSDA), conducted focus groups and interviews with social economy experts, SIC representatives, workers and employment and social integration programme managers, in order to identify the needs of the direct beneficiaries of the CSA in Action and detail a possible plan of action.

In the meantime they also identified the potential beneficiaries, motivated to attend the local initiatives in the frame of the CO.RE project. The stakeholders selected ten people:  Former workers from AISOL8 .  Former workers from AESIM.  Former workers from a social insertion company that organised their insertion itinerary through INCORPORA.

7 SIC are cooperative or business companies that realise activities of production of goods or service provision and with the incorporation to the job market of people at risk of social exclusion (foreseen as objective in the Statutes of Autonomy of Andalucía). These activities will consist in personalised itineraries that would improve the employability of the beneficiaries. They usually consist in services, provisions, counselling, tutoring and training on the job directed the later incorporation to the job market of the people at risk of exclusion 8 AISOL, AESIM and INCORPORA are Social Insertion Companies in Seville

The ten selected beneficiaries were made up of six females and four men. Among the selected beneficiaries, seven people attended and completed the training programme.

The piloting phase

Taller de Antropologia y Ciencas Sociales Applicadas (Taller-ACSA) in cooperation with ONECO Consultoria y mobilidad, Agencia de Servicios Sociales y Dependencia de Andalucia (ASSDA), Servicio Andaluz de Empleo, AVANZA Empresa de Insercion, S.L, Asociation de Estudios Sociales por la Igualdad de la Mujer (AESIM), AISOL and PLANDEM S.L designed together the piloting phase as the CSA in Action.

Having mapped the local territory and related needs of the final beneficiaries, they identified the following objectives for the piloting phase:  To establish a new pathway for workers from the social insertion companies to count on a more complete training.  To allow beneficiaries to develop/improve their autonomy.  To allow beneficiaries to strengthen their potential entrepreneurship.  To organise a proper follow up for formers workers in the SIC, already inserted in the labour market.

The piloting phase consisted of personalised training programmes tackling the following competences: communication skills, problem solving skills, leadership, creativity, ability to deal with stressful situations, organisation abilities, decision making competences, responsibility, teamwork, ICT competences, ability to plan own personal and professional development. The training course has been implemented as follows:

Learning Areas

Ability to plan own learning Life skills as mentioned above ICT skills Awareness of opportunities available on the territory to enter labour market and Knowledge of how to access to these opportunities Ability to elaborate a business plan Ability to plan further learning and actions

Activities

Individual interview with a counsellor and elaboration of an individual learning plan Theory and practical workshops Theory and practical workshops

Meeting local experts

Meeting with experts Lessons and practical exercises Individual meetings with counsellors in order to define the follow up of the training course

The stakeholders and their role in the CSA in action

As described in the CSA, Oneco Consultoria Y Movilidad in cooperation with Taller ACSA and ASSDA were in charge of monitoring and assessing the training course; Servicio Andaluz de Empleo was in charge of elaborating the programme of the training course, delivering the module on life skills and knowledge of the

local opportunities as well as guaranteeing the tutoring of the process; AESIM was in charge of delivering the ICT modules as well as the tutoring; PLANDEM was in charge of delivering business plan modules as well as tutoring. AESIM, AISOL and INCORPORA were in charge of running the selection interviews with the candidates. The Social Insertion Companies also had the task of monitoring the impact of the training course on the beneficiaries’ development and also in their companies.

Results and Follow up

Results and follow up for beneficiaries The beneficiaries of the training course showed a real and strong commitment to the local initiative. Despite their personal difficulties, they attended the training course regularly. At the end of the course, they were empowered and improved their competences as foreseen in the plan. As a follow-up to the training course, some of them planned to run a catering company and learn about how to start up this kind of business. Some other beneficiaries were not ready to start their own business, but needed to further develop specific competences in the areas of interest.

Results and follow up for CSA For the CSA stakeholders, the CSA in Action has been an opportunity to strengthen their cooperation and synergies in the frame of training and services for people at risk of exclusion. The mutual understanding among all the stakeholders, and a very efficient coordination of the CSA and CSA in Action, has stimulated their commitment to consider the possibility to repeat the experience in different Andalusian Provinces and deliver a suitable certification at the end of the training course, which should be valid at Regional level.

2 THE CO.RE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: DEFINING COMMON NOTIONS

In the implementation of the CO.RE project three main “focus areas” have been addressed: (1) governance, (2) social exclusion / inclusion, and (3) employment / work. Each of these has a specific relevance to the project’s goals and actions, aimed at promoting social cohesion and inclusion at different levels: at the macro/governance level through the agreement between social agents, enterprises and local public authorities, and at the micro level through the labour market integration of vulnerable or socially marginalised people.

In CO.RE, moreover, these three concepts have proved to be deeply intertwined, adding complexity to traditional, classical approaches. In particular, we have identified developmental governance models in which all parts assume the responsibility to create or provide tools that facilitate the empowerment of vulnerable people leading to an improved access to employment opportunities. This sort of innovative governance model involves important changes for public and private agents, especially with respect to the role of the different actors or agents who participate in the decision-making process.

Each concept has a different theoretical framework and choosing one or the other implies different intervention actions and programmes. The CO.RE project wanted to define a common theoretical framework to facilitate communication between the local pilot projects. In other words, the different projects implemented in the five partner territories have shared a broader, common objective but have achieved it by designing and implementing different local practices.

2.1 Governance

Governance is a “process of coordination between actors, social groups and institutions which allows for the definition of common goals in a fragmented, diverse environment”. It implies the articulation of different regulation models in a territory in terms of political and social integration, which reformulates the interrelations between State, economic agents, civil society and citizen.

Throughout Europe the role of Governments in welfare policies in general, and in social services in particular, is undergoing interesting changes against decreasing public budgets and growing demands for services. On the one hand, the role of Governments has remained key in defining policy strategies and priorities (although through consultations and coordination methods), while on the other their role has become “facilitative” in an environment where services are increasingly provided by other actors such as third sector organisations, social enterprises, and enterprises. This scenario is common in all CO.RE partner territories. The project challenge has consisted in designing a governance model which requires the commitment of

organisations and institutions, as well as the commitment of the beneficiaries who rediscovered their status as active citizens.

The concept of Governance rose to prominence in the 1980’s and was viewed as a means to overcome the hierarchical and bureaucratic model of policy action9 , changing the traditional dynamics about decision-making. This paradigm shift was mostly driven by the widespread need to adopt a new point of view when it came to policy definition and policy making processes which, up until this point, had been exclusively managed by the State. The result of this governance transformation was the involvement of a wider, more diverse range of actors, including representatives of civil society. These actors assumed the responsibility of societal operations.

A Governance model involves defining a multidimensional and interconnected decision-making process. It involves the participation of associations, neighbour communities, institutional departments, public administrations, economic actors, various social agents, and even individual citizens, all of whom can give voice to their demands and discuss proposals in a democratic environment. All these actors assume a main role in the construction, or strengthening, of local social cohesion and of authentic opportunities for local development.

Governance is based on “two fundamental elements: self-governance and interorganisational networks and implies the following ideas: 1. Interdependence between organisations: governance is a concept more extensive than what it means to govern. Governance incorporates nonstate actors and the boundary between private and public space is blurred. 2. Continuous interaction between members of the network who inform public policies. These are made possible by the need to exchange resources and hold talks on common goals. 3. Interactions based on trust, with discussed and agreed rules between various participants. 4. Important level of autonomy over the State. This self-organisation is a hallmark of this model. However, although the State does not occupy the central position in the network, it can activate and manage this.” (Conejero, 2005:21)

The development of a governance model involves concepts such as transparency, sustainability, efficiency, representation, and ethics. These concepts are also assumed by the European Commission in “Governance in Europe: A white book”10. The European Commission accepts the governance model as a bridge

9 Conejero, E. (2005) “Globalización, gobernanza local y democracia participativa”. En Cuadernos Constitucionales de la Cátedra Fadrique Furió nº52-53 Ed. Universitat de Valencia. Valencia. (pgs.13-31) 10 Comisión Europea (2001) La Gobernanza Europea. Un libro blanco. http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/es/com/2001/com2001_0428es01.pdf

between European citizens and the European Union. The Union wants to strengthen its democratic system, creating more effective policies11 . Different national traditions and historical experiences allow for different governance ideas and related practices. In general, three models can be sketched: self-governance, hierarchical governance, and co-governance.

The three models meet the requisites set forth in the definition of governance as a multidimensional model of self-government and an inter-connected network where private and public actors work together12 . However, the relationships between the actors differ deeply depending on the specific model:  Top down processes from the institutions to the civil society, as in the hierarchical pattern, or  Bottom-up approach, from the civil society to the institutions, as in the self-governance model, whereby citizens take direct political action, or  Equal and reciprocal dialogue, as in the co-governance model.

However, implementing a local governance model does not imply either greater transparency or deeper co-responsibility levels. In the CO.RE project activities implemented at local level, partners have engaged in pilot projects that foster the co-responsibility and greater involvement of social actors at community scale. Given the project’s limited timeframe and resources, the local pilot practices have been developed and based mainly on co-governance principles. In these experiences, the focus has been on a specific problem/need, involving a small number of beneficiaries; as a result, the decision-making process has generated synergetic processes led by the local authorities. Whilst public authorities have defined the preliminary strategy, the other involved stakeholders have contributed to the implementation plan and hands-on activities to be realised, thus assuming the responsibility to achieve the set goals.

Furthermore, when signing the community-shared agreement (the so-called “CSA”) the organisations and institutions also assume responsibility for followingup the Governance structure. The individual participants also assume responsibility for their personal and professional self-development.

11 Ibidem, page 8 12 Kooiman J. & Jentoft S. (2009). “Meta-Governance: Values, Norms and Principles, and the Making of Hard Choices”. Public Administration 87(4), 818-836 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2009.01780.x/abstract

2.2 Social inclusion / Social exclusion

Social exclusion is a multidimensional and multifactoral process that affects each disadvantaged person differently, depending on social and individual factors13. To allow us to understand the different dimensions that influence this process, we need to firstly understand the concept of social cohesion.

The notion of social cohesion, based on the proposal of Émile Durkheim elaborated at the turn of 19th century, is defined as balance and solidarity between the individual and all the other social actors. The relationship between all members of society should secure, through different mechanisms, wellbeing and welfare services to every member of society. Recently, new concepts have been added to this definition: liberty and democracy14 .

A society promotes these goals in its different levels and “dimensions”. When we talk about “dimensions” we are referring to different fields of social structure. These fields or dimensions are: 1. Structural: they concern the mechanisms of social inclusion and exclusion and those related to access to different opportunities offered by the society, the degree of social mobility, the division of labour and the structure of inequalities. 2. Cultural: these identify the degree of norms and values sharing. 3. Identity-related: these define the sense of belonging to the community, the acceptance or the refusal of certain social groups and the degree of tolerance. 4. Action-related: these dimensions concern the involvement in collective activities and the commitment to various associations, nets and operational circles.

Based on these four dimensions, it is possible to see how the conceptual framework about the duality of exclusion-inclusion is outlined.

We emphasise two main streams here, originating respectively from the AngloSaxon tradition, and from the French and German tradition. The Anglo-Saxon stream emphasises the structural dimension. Social exclusion is defined as a result of economic deficiency of the individual and as a result of unemployment. Deficiency is the consequence of individual behaviour; the responsibility lies with the excluded. The focus is on labour issues and the lack of material wealth, without omitting the individual behaviour. This stream includes the concept of deviation as behaviour of social rejection and speaks of Deviation Behaviour of the excluded person (García Blanco 2012).

13 Hernández Pedreño, M. (Coord.) (2008) “Exclusión Social y desigualdad” Ed. Universidad de Murcia. Murcia 14 European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) (2004). A new strategy for Social Cohesion - Revised Strategy for Social Cohesion, approved by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 31 March 2004. http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/socialpolicies/socialcohesiondev/source/RevisedStrategy_en.pdf

Opposed to this approach, we consider as more comprehensive the so-called “continental” sociological theories that have been developed in France and Germany starting from the last quarter of the 20th century by authors such as Robert Castel, Niklas Luhman and Rémi Lenoir. These theories emphasise the extent to which social exclusion is a multi-causal process generated and/or affected by various social and cultural dimensions, beside the economic factors. Therefore, whilst the Anglo-Saxon stream not also questions the material conditions of excluded people, but also their status as citizens (Herzog 2011), the continental stream applies social and cultural dimensions to understand the development stages of the individual’s exclusion process.

The CO.RE framework has referred mainly to the continental stream15, assuming what Luhman calls the “theory of systems”. The systems are relational spaces where the features of communication flows determine the exclusion or inclusion of individuals in that particular system. The systems are inclusive with regard to the person because “if a person knows the communicative context of each system, the individual is relevant in the system”16 . An individual does not need to “belong” to several, or all systems. The level of social exclusion depends on the balance among various systems: “the social exclusion should be an accumulative and relational process of exclusion of several functional systems. Exclusion is problematic when at the same time it is produced in different functional systems, in other words, when the partial exclusion is not compensated by other systematic inclusions” (Stichweh quoted in Herzog 2011: 615).

Then, the description of different systems allows us to understand the process of exclusion as one that is not limited to material aspects, but is also caused by “holes” in other systems such as skills and competences (related, for instance, to low schooling achievements), family relationships, other social networks, housing, health, etc. This vision is nowadays widely accepted and influences the design of European welfare policies which integrate economic considerations with social dimensions, as well as with education, training and employment policy issues. At EU level, the first steps were taken in the early 90’s, when in 1992 the European Commission published the communication “Towards a Europe of solidarity: intensifying the fight against social exclusion, fostering integration”. In parallel, other international institutions, the first being the Council of Europe, introduced innovative policy strands concerning social rights and social cohesion policy areas. In detail, the Council of Europe elaborated a strategy for social cohesion, the realisation of which was assigned to the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS), established in 1998.

15 Castel R., Donzelot J., Foucault M., Gaudemar, J-P., Grignon C. (1981) “Espacios de Poder” Ed. La Piqueta, Madrid 16 García Blanco, JM. (2012) La exclusión social en la teoría social de Niklas Luhman. En Século XXI Revista de Ciencias Sociales, Vol. Nº2 enero-junio. Madrid. (p.43-71)

In line with the strategic proposals set forth in the 90s, the European Union has been elaborating proposals to improve the social conditions of European citizens. The “Europe 2020” ten-year growth strategy17 is intended to address “the shortcomings of our growth model and create the conditions for a different type of growth that is smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive”18

The CO.RE project has assumed the objectives of the 2020 Strategy. Its actions have been designed taking into account a multidimensional perception of the exclusion process and the diversity of contexts and beneficiaries across the five involved territories.

2.3 Employment / Work

The CO.RE project assumes the definition of employment developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO): “a person is employed/has an employment when the work is carried out in return for payment” 19. The definition does not consider the number of hours or days worked. From this definition another important concept emerges which helps us understand “employment” as a social tool: work. The ILO defines the concept of work as those human activities, paid or unpaid, that produces goods or services in an economic system, or fulfils the needs of a community 20 . Both employment and work can lead to concepts that emphasise specific features such as:  Time-related aspects: seasonal, part-time or full-time employment.  Age-related aspects: youth employment.  Administrative aspects: informal employment, formal employment, selfemployment.

Beside these definitions, in CO.RE we have looked for the social dimension of employment and work. Work has been described as individual and collective 21 . Starting from the medieval guilds, to the trade union movements, work has contributed to build individual and collective identities. Work, even unpaid work, has generally been considered a factor of social cohesion. In modern times these beliefs are challenged and falter following deep transformations of the nature of work, and of the related human interactions.

17 Comisión Europea (2010) Europa 2020. Una estrategia para el crecimiento inteligente, sostenible e integrador. Bruselas 18 European Commission, Europe 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm (last access: 30/07/2013) 19 http://www.ilo.org/thesaurus/defaultes.asp (last access: 16/07/2013) 20 Ibidem 21 Silvestre, Agostinho Rodrigues; Fernandes Luís, (2012) " Mutações do trabalho e da pobreza na modernidade avançada" in atas do VII congresso Português de sociologia, Porto

As Bauman states, “work cannot provide a safe use of the definition of self, identities and life projects. Neither can it be thought of as a social ethic basis nor as an ethic axis of the individual life.” (Bauman, 2004; 149) This implies that at present it seems difficult to think of employment as an integrative tool. Individuality, labour mobility and inter-sectoral mobility are making work a tool for other goals, generally related to consumption.

In this context the role of social economy actors appears as a key element to reformulate the relationship between work and workers. The values and operational features of social economy organisations (and social enterprises) are characterised principally by their aims and their methods: a different way of doing business which “continuously associates the general interest, economic performance and democratic operation”22. In other words, social economy organisations pursue social and economic interests in relationship with the local environment23 .

Social economy organisations play a key role in the fight against the causes and effects of deprivation and impoverishment, taking direct action through a multiplicity of measures ranging from prevention to management of vulnerability factors. Social economy is already acknowledged as a “key operator for fulfilling the Lisbon Strategy objectives”24. With the launch of the new “Europe 2020” strategy and the current definition of the strategic framework for the new programming period of the EU Structural Funds25, the inspiring values of social economy are endorsed at EU level, recognising their role in social innovation and contribution to the fight against poverty in its many forms that mean discrimination, deprivation and social exclusion.

In the CO.RE project these challenges have been faced and the opportunities offered by social economy have been taken into consideration. In a few cases, especially in Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria, social enterprises and other non-profit organisations have contributed to the development of labour insertion pathways whereby work has a social function. For this reason the project has in some cases promoted employment and self-employment through social economy enterprises (as with the Social Inclusion Enterprises in Andalusia).

The CO.RE project has adopted the perspective of employment with a specific social and political value, not just as an economically essential activity. This involves considering employment as a tool for social integration and valuing old or new social capacities and skills beyond the mere economic benefits. The localised

22 Social Economy Europe, 2010: http://www.socialeconomy.eu.org. Last access: 14/07/2013 23 Alfonso Sánchez, R. (2010) "Algunas consideraciones en torno a la propuesta de ley "marco" de Economía Social " en REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos, núm. 102, pp. 7-23, España 24 European Parliament (2009): Resolution of 19 February 2009 on Social Economy (2008/2250(INI), also known as the “Toia Report”, pt. A 25 European Commission (2011): Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union Programme for Social Change and Innovation. COM(2011) 609 final

CO.RE projects have taken stock of available resources and opportunities and involved disadvantaged people not only in work activities, but in more comprehensive development paths aimed at strengthening their self-awareness and esteem as “active citizens”. In the “outer context” stakeholders have been mobilised to be supportive and to share a joint responsibility for the local development of social, cultural and economic capital.

3 THE CO.RE LOCAL PROJECTS AS VIEWED BY INVOLVED PARTICIPANTS

3.1 The CO.RE pilot project in Massa Marittima

Premise

In Massa Marittima, the local pilot project involved:  From the beneficiaries’ side, 12 ladies with very different profiles, but all sharing the same motivation as regards finding a job which could fulfil their expectations, besides giving them an income.  Form the governance side, 12 stakeholders who signed the communityshared agreement and committed to supporting, with their diverse resources, the development programmes of the selected participants.

This text tells the story of Nina, a young migrant woman who came to Massa Marittima a few years ago in search of a better future, and a sustainable present. Although she has found a very comfortable and inclusive environment as regards social relations and friendships, she has encountered huge difficulties in finding a job. The reasons for these hard times are mainly related to her low school achievements and past work experiences which did not allow her to acquire the skills and competences required by the local labour market. While experiencing demotivation and low self-esteem, she still has the willingness to learn and to improve herself.

My life “B.C.” (“before CO.RE”)

What an amazing place, Massa Marittima! When I first got here I could not believe I In the territory of the Colline could find my way in such a small village, far Metallifere the risk of socio-economic from the city and still immersed in its history. I exclusion is very high for migrants. also came from a small town, in the Balkans, Mostly women experience discomfort and for all of my young life I had been trying of being not accepted and not able to to leave that place and build my fortune in a carve out their own space within the large city, where jobs and opportunities were community. After the emergency of at hand. And now, I found myself in another North Africa, many women have small town… shown their abilities in manual jobs, Indeed life circumstances are often so particularly in cutting and sewing. different from our desires and expectations. Anyway, living in Massa soon turned out to be much better than I expected. Hospitality and friendliness are common attitudes for the Massetani. I immediately got used to their lifestyle and managed to make good friendships. This also helped me learn the language which is unquestionably the key to being, and feeling, part of the community

At the beginning the relationships and good friendships I made were enough to fulfil my days. But soon my family needed another income. I was the natural

“candidate” and I accepted this responsibility positively. So I started to look for a job. I have to say that in my country girls do not get high degrees, especially if they live in the countryside. Girls go to work from a very early age since they have to contribute to the family budget. I do not have a qualified diploma. I can read and write, but in Italian I find some extra difficulties. The local job offers were mainly seasonal and concerned tourism, agriculture and commerce. But the demands for jobs are generally much higher than the vacancies and the competition among applicants is terrible. There so many young qualified Italians who really deserve a job. After a few attempts I even started to think: “Who Traditional services for jobseekers are well developed. The main interest point is the public Employment Service in Follonica, being a local branch of the provincial office. am I to compete with the local people who were born and raised here? I am an outsider and should not take advantage of their hospitality to steal their jobs…” Can you see the wicked rationale in what I came to think? Furthermore, after a while my family started to put some pressure on me, because we needed more money for the household. My self-esteem was very low. I could not see what services were available for me. Nobody could really advise me in the correct Among the main factors causing way, since the most common way to find a job social exclusion in the Colline here is by word of mouth, especially because Metallifere area, unemployment is most businesses are family-run. This means that particularly severe for women, when a vacancy opens, let’s say in a shop, the young people and migrants. shop owner tells her friends and acquaintances For young people, unemployment that she needs an assistant. The local network is is usually correlated to low very effective and within a few days the vacancy schooling (with high drop-out rates is filled. If you are out of this network though, you throughout the Province) and low are out. This implies that there is no way you can education achievements. This learn about that vacancy and apply for the post. represents a priority at provincial The local public employment centre is very level. useful as a first step, to get some initial guidance and to understand better the local labour market. But then job opportunities are disseminated using informal networks and not the public service. And I was out again. I could not see much help or support around me. I could not even see other women, or people, in the same situation. I was sure I was really unlucky and nobody could help me out.

One day, one sunny day actually, I found a flyer where the CO.RE initiative was announced and all citizens were invited to the launch event in the Municipality premises. There were references to local development, community and employment. There was also reference to local associations that were supporting the initiative. And these were mainly women’s associations. That flyer made me curious and I decided to go to that event. That was really one of the best decisions in my life!

Getting started with the CO.RE pathway

I had never considered the Società della Salute (hereafter, SdS) as a promoter of employment and local development programmes. Apparently, the SdS is committed to improving the wellbeing of all local citizens, and employment and income are part of this wellbeing. Anyway, the SdS was coordinating a European project – what a bizarre “thing”! – that was aimed at promoting the autonomy of vulnerable people and giving them a future on the basis of employment or entrepreneurial activity. Locally, the Commission of Equal Opportunities joined this initiative. Then the SdS and the Commission decided to focus their energies on the creation of a laboratory for textile processing. Participants would be women in search of a job, and living in some sort of disadvantage or social marginalisation. I presented myself to the representatives of the project and was reassured that my profile was suitable and had just to wait a few more weeks until the logistical aspects were ready. I had to wait at least four months, because the laboratory premises were being refurbished. But it was worth waiting! We started off with a selection interview. We met also with a psychologist from Firenze [Ms Zamparelli from Accademia europea di Firenze, who was the selection supervisor] and we could talk freely about ourselves and what we expected to do. I felt so grateful for this opportunity, and for the time that the organisation dedicated to me. I had this feeling that I had finally found a place to improve my skills and some people that could help me understand myself.

Then in February 2013 the activities began. Inside the Foundation Rifugio S. Anna, rooms for a dressmaking laboratory were set up. The Foundation actively collaborated in the design and coordination with Società della Salute International action; Sportello Informadonna, together with the Equal Opportunities Commission of Massa Marittima, worked to inform us, the participants, about the opportunity to take part in the experience. The Italian Women's Centre of Massa Marittima was available to lend its experience for lessons in embroidery, knitting, crocheting and sewing. The Employment Centre has been involved in meeting with the participants and in examining issues relating to apprenticeships and self-enterprise, as well as in providing three guidance meetings. The CO.RE dressmaking and embroidery laboratory finds its origins back in 2011. At that time some of the local stakeholders who came to sign the community-shared agreement were partners in the cross-border project “MedMore & BetterJobs” cofunded within the Operational Programme Italy-France Maritime and promoted by the Province of Livorno, Grosseto and the Employment Center (Centro per l’Impiego). In CO.RE the following women associations have been collaborating: Sportello Informadonna, the Foundation S. Anna, the Centro Italiano Femminile. It was hard to believe that all this was for us! We had the chance to meet with the people in charge in the different organisations: the SdS, the Foundation Rifugio S. Anna, those responsible for teaching us, that is the Centro Italiano Femminile and the Sportello Informadonna, and then the Employment Centre.

The Sportello Informadonna materially worked to inform us about opportunities for work experience and apprenticeship, also with regard to regional funding programmes which we did not know about. The Sportello really managed to give us the information we needed. This is a key service because it is sometimes very hard to understand which information piece is useful and which one is essential. As regards our training path, we learned how to cut, sew and embroider. We used mostly recycled materials or fabrics brought directly by the volunteers. We also purchased tools and useful equipment: needles, pins, scissors, sewing threads with the 10 basic colours, embroidery floss, embroidery hoops, crochet hooks, knitting needles, forks and special needles for wool, tissue paper for models, seamstress chalk, meters from tailoring, sewing machines, irons.

At the same time, the different organisations proposed activities to think beyond the CO.RE laboratory, for instance to start a small company. It was a brand new world opening in front of us! Moreover, some entrepreneurs participated in the course, expanding the network of stakeholders, to bring their own experience: the cooperative “La Roccia di Scampia”, Naples, The CO.RE laboratory took place between February and May 2013 for 4/5 days a week. attended a meeting with us to tell how, after a vocational training course, a business idea arose that led to the creation of a social cooperative whose goal is job placement of disadvantaged people. The cooperative La Roccia has a tailoring business unit which, after 5 years of operations, employs seven people. We also met a renowned local designer who explained that she cannot find the right professionals in the area that can realise her designs. She was therefore forced to bring the production to other areas of the region, where the skills she needs are present.

What is there, beyond CO.RE?

After the CO.RE programme, there is some uncertainty which the current economic situation also contributes to. With a couple of other ladies we learned how to make crochet handicrafts which we have managed to sell to a local shop. For the time being the numbers of our production are small but we feel that it is the beginning of a new phase. It’s strange: I started my story using “I”… “I” was the only person in need, “I” could not find my way but now I am talking using “we”. The group that was formed in the CO.RE initiative is a very important result. The CO.RE experience has been inclusive, indeed. We now know that we are not alone. We know that we can talk to other persons in similar conditions, or to persons who work in public services who are there to listen to us and to give us advice. We know that we can have an access to the local informal network because there are small companies, and local authorities, and the associations which care for us and are responsible for our employment realisation.

3.2 The CO.RE pilot project in Kuklen

An individualised approach for each participant

Six of the CO.RE project beneficiaries accessed employment and one started HIS own business. In the stories presented below the participants tell of their experience and of the real value of their participation in the CO.RE activities.

The CO.RE project in Bulgaria brought about a community-shared agreement between 13 stakeholders representing local authorities, local businesses and nongovernmental organisations. As a result of the dissemination activities of the project, 24 representatives of vulnerable groups from the local community expressed interest in joining the project. As each of the beneficiaries had their own very individual needs, abilities and interests, the approach of the local partnership was individual too. As a result of the personal development paths developed for the participants within the project, six of them gained access to employment, while one started their own small business. We are presenting two of these successful stories.

A small business owner

I’m 24 years old and of Roma origin. I live with my girlfriend and we have two kids. I completed Vocational High School in Agriculture in the town of Kuklen and immediately after, I went to Italy with friends of mine to look for a job. I worked for three years in a furniture production factory and for one year after that I was delivering food to people’s homes. But then the crisis came, my wage decreased and job opportunities were limited. At the same time, my girlfriend got pregnant and we decided that the situation we were in was not suitable for raising a small child. So, in 2012 we moved back to Bulgaria. I came back with the intention of starting my own business, because I wanted to do something in Bulgaria. I had some money saved, but no concrete ideas on what business I would like to run or how to run it.

I had heard of the Indi Roma 97 Foundation and its activities, so I went to their office. By that time the Foundation was already working on the CO.RE project and I expressed my interest to be involved, since it looked like the opportunity I needed. My motivation to join was rooted in the fact that I could get support in developing my own business, which was my dream. Indi Roma 97 was part of a partnership with a lot of other organisations and authorities and that was a great opportunity to get access to the knowledge and experience of different experts.

The local partnership has decided to pay specific attention to the beneficiaries that are interested to start their own small business rather than get employed. It was the main role of the project partner DARSIK LTD and their experts to work with participants wanting to be entrepreneurs. Different possibilities for micro-financing has been explored and presented to the beneficiaries, while individual work has been done with each of them in terms of the type of business they

would like to start and the business plans that needs to be developed.

During the project I had a mentor/consultant who supported me through the whole process of developing my business. Initially we conducted a couple of discussions on several business ideas and by that time I was planning to start an agriculture or fruitgrowing business. The consultant, however, advised me to use “The project was the opportunity I needed!” the experience and abilities I had developed through my jobs in Italy. While there I worked in a store that made food deliveries to people’s home, I learned how to communicate with clients, find out their food preferences, etc. I found a place to rent in the center of Kuklen

Five more participants have that was suitable for a café. So I decided to expressed their desire to start their start the business by renting this place. own business and are working on Together with the project consultant we started their business plans. All of them preparing a business plan. We researched the have decided to start agriculture prices of all needed materials. We prepared initiatives and that is determined the menu list - coffee, hot drinks, soft drinks, by the specifics of the territory. sandwiches, and a grill. I received support for

The partnership is in negotiation preparing all the necessary documents for with the Kuklen Municipality with registration and certification. The last respect to the possibilities to rent certificate I needed was a municipal permit for municipal land for the needs of video surveillance. The café has been opened these business initiatives. since early March and I am pleased that so far we have managed to run it successfully.

What I really appreciate from this project (apart from having my dream come true) is that it helped me start something in Bulgaria. I didn’t want to go back to Italy again because my friends and family are here, my kids also feel better here. I really hope that I will be able to enhance and expand my business. In the future I wish to open a disco club in the town.

Furthermore, this experience gave me something more on a personal level. I have become much more responsible. I faced many difficulties since starting as the business turned out to be much more complicated than I imagined. I need to take care of paying taxes, bills, rent, social security charges, etc. This has helped me grow a lot and while it is very difficult, I am now managing and I can support my family.

A picture of the new café

There’s something that could be improved in projects like this. I believe that besides consultations, there has to be some kind of opportunity for obtaining starting capital for people wishing to develop their own business. I first tried to get a loan from a bank, but I was rejected, since I did not fit their criteria. I then researched micro-financing organisations, but their conditions were not realistic at all. The reason I managed to start is that I had money saved, but many people who want to set-up a business are unable to implement ideas without money.

A young working mother

I’m a 28 year old woman from the Turkish ethnic community. I was born in 1986 in the city of Plovdiv. I have been married for 4 years and have a 3 year old baby. My family now lives in the town of Kuklen. I graduated from Plovdiv University in Macroeconomics, but finding a job right now in a small town like Kuklen is more than a challenge.

I learned about the project from Labour Bureau Rhodopes, where I was registered as unemployed. Following some communication, the Co.Re project team invited me to join the “I found a job a month after I project. The team supported me in elaborating an individual got involved in development plan and the relevant documentation for applying the project” under the “New Beginning – from Education to Employment” Project of the Human Resources Development Operational Program, financed by the European Social Fund of the EU. My application was approved and I had a chance to start my first job.

The local partnership focused a lot on mapping the existing opportunities and resources under different programs and projects, applicable for the territory of Kuklen. This was made relatively easy, considering the involvement of public authorities in the community-shared agreement, including the afore-mentioned Labour Bureau Rhodopes. The synergies between the existing opportunities (many of which funded by the European Social Fund) and the CO.RE project were particularly encouraged.

I decided to get involved because I had been unemployed for the last two years and figured that Indi Roma 97 Foundation could help me to find an appropriate job. I met a few of the project beneficiaries during the individual and group consultations, provided under the Co.Re project. Later on, as a staff member of Indi Roma 97 Foundation I was able to communicate with all project beneficiaries, though from another position. I had a mentor with whom I worked during my preparation process. During the individual consultations we discussed problems and identified methods to achieve my goal, related to gaining experience in my area of expertise. We prepared a plan for my future development. We then applied to the Labour Office under the New beginning Project and I was hired by Indi Roma 97 Foundation as a training facilitator.

The most useful part of this experience for me was that a month after getting involved in the project I had the opportunity to find a job. There are no words to express how pleased I was. Due to the CO.RE project I had the chance to gain new skills and knowledge, such as how to communicate with beneficiaries, leadership skills, resolving conflicts and team work. Furthermore, I feel that working in the non-governmental sphere gives me great benefit. Apart from the “New Beginning” programme, other participants were able to access employment through programmes like “From social assistance to employment”, “First new job”, “Help at home”.

What changed in my life is that I acquired new competencies and accumulated a lot of experience. I had the chance to understand how the non-governmental sector works and understood that it has an important role in the society – this is something I hadn’t realised before. That is why I am considering staying in this sector. Based on my experience, I could say that there needs to be much more additional training courses for unemployed people. Such training courses would allow the unemployed to gain new skills and competencies. For example language courses, computer knowledge and skills, etc.

The elaboration of personal development plans was a main activity within CO.RE. All the involved participants had a mentor appointed that supported them in identifying their abilities, needs and interests, as well as their desired sphere of realization. However, some of those needed to be changed in accordance with the resources and opportunities available. For example, some of the participants needed to re-shape their goals, as existing EU-funded programmes were closed due to the ending of the EU budget period.

3.3 The CO.RE pilot project in Belfast

In the words of one of the young people involved, the local pilot project developed as follows…

I am a student from Belfast. I am 15 years old and currently studying for my GCSE’s. I am from an area in Belfast that is one of the most deprived in Northern Ireland, and I often get taunted by my friends when I try to participate in new projects that will help my future or help me get out of the area in which I live. For example, during the CO.RE project, my friends, knowing that I had to be up early the following morning, stood outside my window and made lots of noise until very late at night with the hope that I might sleep in. I just ignore them, and not let them stand in my way. I was always early for any of the sessions that we had as part of the CO.RE project. There is high unemployment for young people where I live, and getting access to services is very difficult. Even the cost of a bus fare could be a major The Belfast area in Northern Ireland was chosen because it is ranked very highly across the seven domains of deprivation as outlined by the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) which take into consideration the following areas:  Income Deprivation  Employment Deprivation barrier to me attending courses or  Health Deprivation and Disability getting work experience to help my  Education, Skills and Training Deprivation future. Luckily people were able to  Proximity to Services help me out so that I could participate  Living Environment fully in the CO.RE project.  Crime and Disorder

I first learnt about the project through Young Enterprise. There was a focus group for the project at one of the Young Enterprise events, and they asked us about what we want for our futures and the challenges that we face. We all agreed that schools should have focus more on real life, and less on theory in their teaching. We felt that this would be more beneficial to us in the long run, and that schools should teach us more practical things such as organisational skills that would benefit us more in the future. We also felt that as we get older, we should be encouraged to have more independent learning options. Sometimes we feel mollycoddled and this can impact on our confidence as we move towards higher education.

I felt there was definitely a need for better work experience and support. The placements we get through school are not enough, as we don’t get great experience. Then we get caught in a vicious circle – In order to scope out the work of the project, three initial can’t get a job without focus groups were held. One of these was a focus group experience, and can’t get of 12 students, representing a range of schools across experience without a job! Northern Ireland. The other was with a group of 12 I always felt under a lot of teachers. Both focus groups were facilitated by Young pressure to go to University, Enterprise. and prior to CO.RE had not really been told about other options. If I had more experience of the workplace prior to making my choices, then I would be more informed. Most of my friends just

pick a degree out of a prospectus without really knowing much about the career prospects.

The initial focus group was facilitated by a person from Young Enterprise who encouraged us all to speak freely. It was very informal, and I felt as if my opinions were validated as many were shared by others in the focus group.

I was then invited to participate in the CO.RE project by the teacher in my school. She said that it would benefit me and that I was selected based on my previous experience with the Young Enterprise entrepreneurship programme. To be honest I have always taken advantage of any opportunities that come my way, although there are not very many. So when it was explained that the project would help me make a more informed choice about my future, I was willing to put in the extra time, outside of school, to make this work. At the time I was very much at a crossroads, un-certain about what I wanted to do with my future, therefore the CO.RE project gave me the perfect opportunity to figure things out. It also came at a Young Enterprise has an established strong really good time in my student life, when relationship with the schools and their choices are very imminent and also very teachers. Teachers across the Belfast area critical as to what I will do next. were then approached to identify students with high potential but low opportunity to participate in the project. Teachers selected I was part of a group of young people: 6 the students, based on the profile provided, boys and 5 girls who were all of a similar and these students were shortlisted by age and background to me. On the first Young Enterprise and invited to attend the day of CORE project we were introduced first session of the project. to everyone, partners and participants, and given more details about the project. We also had a chance to say what we wanted to happen at each of the project workshops and helped to plan and shape the project which I thought was a really good idea!

Although the meetings were at Queen’s University which, to me, was always a place I thought was scary as I had never been in before, they were great. The group interaction was informal and fun. The tutors were very friendly and approachable and made

The current university students were from a similar everything easy for us. We socio economic background to the CORE participants were never asked to do and were excellent ‘Role Models’ for the group as they anything on our own. related to them on every level. This came from Everyone was part of the personal experience as they had been in the same group and everyone was position 3-4 years earlier. supportive of each other. At break and lunch times, current students came to meet us to take us to the student cafes and spend time with us answering our questions. It was great to see inside the university... I am not scared of it any more.

The group sessions in Queen’s University always started with an introduction to the day: then followed by a group activity where we had to produce something which would contribute to the next stage of the project. For example on the first day we had to think about what we personally wanted from a career and produce a career planner. We had to

Interactive learning underpinned everything we did look at our strengths and within the group. Using participants as co- weaknesses and begin to collaborators in the design and delivery of the build an individual profile programme and what outcomes we wanted to achieve which would help us identify worked very successfully. We involved the students at possible employers for our each stage of the process, created a safe learning work experience. In the environment and allowed students to have an input afternoon we began to into the structure of the training days. produce our CV’s on a computer which we could use to send to employers. The day was well structured. We were never sitting listening to people talking for a long time. We were involved and interacting with others all the time.

I gained a great deal from the interaction with others. I enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends and sharing experiences. I loved being in Queen’s. Everybody we met was ‘sound’ and the students and tutors were great. The project had a number of stages to it:  Selection to the project.  Meeting other participants and planning what we wanted to achieve.  Working on our own individual need for career planning/self-awareness.  Planning applications and advice for interviews.  Undertaking work experience.  Reflection and Future planning.

The project allowed me to find out more about me, what I wanted to do with my life, undertake work experience and help me make career choices. All partners in the project wanted the experience to be meaningful for all participants. Even though it was a group of people with different needs, values and For me, the most useful part of the experience was the work experience week. I am very interested in Business and Accounts so I was eager to get some experience in this environment. I worked for one week in the accounts department of a busy Estate Agent where I had the opportunity to be involved in invoicing, compiling databases and generally, getting to know the financial processes abilities we wanted to make the programme an individual learning experience tailored to their needs. The success of the project was not based on the number that would progress to Higher Education but on the increase in selfconfidence and self-belief in that they could achieve whatever they wanted as long as they had access to the correct information, resources and networks. involved in running a busy firm such as this. I really loved my work placement and found it to be a very motivating experience. The director was a particular inspiration to me as I have always thought about owning my own business and having worked alongside him and

talking with him, I am more convinced than ever that this is what I want to work towards.

As project partners, it was important for us to ‘break-down’ the perceived barriers to third level education. Having identified beneficiaries who were of ‘high capability but low opportunity’, it was important to educate beneficiaries on the funding and loan options available to them in order to demonstrate that third level education was a viable option if they wished to pursue it. To ‘round’ this experience and share with the beneficiaries as much useful information as possible, we also had input from the Department of Employment and Learning, who talked with students about other training and education opportunities available to them, and associated access routes.

The week also confirmed for me that I have chosen the right subjects and has given me more determination to do as well as I can in my exams in order to progress to further education and training

Each beneficiary had the opportunity to opportunities. From speaking with other experience a bespoke work placement beneficiaries, they also found the work based on their areas of interest. Work experience a very useful part of the experiences were arranged in Forensic project and I think everyone agreed that

Science, Journalism, IT, International it was a good opportunity to actually

Business, Architecture and Economics. experience what we thought we wanted to do in relation to future careers.

In terms of what I found most enjoyable, I think getting to meet new people and make some new friends was really good but apart from that, the opportunity to experience university life as a student was really fun. Queen’s University is such a recognisable building and unless you have ever had The purpose of the Work Experience was to help beneficiaries make informed decisions about their future education and training. While some beneficiaries found that the work experience confirmed that they were working towards something that was suitable for them, equally important was the fact that three of the participants decided that it would be worthwhile to look at other possibilities as the career they experienced wasn’t what they thought it was going to be. Such a en experience is empowering the students, allowing them to make informed the chance to go ‘inside’ it, it decisions. can seem quite scary and daunting. I think everyone in the group also had doubts as to whether or not they would even be able to afford to go to university! However, through the CO.RE project, we got to spend 3 days in total on the campus, meet and talk with other Queen’s students and find out about student funding and loan opportunities as well as spend a one night residential in the Halls of Residence, which everyone really enjoyed. These experiences made us all realise that university is within our reach, if we wanted it!

Looking back on the CO.RE project now, while it hasn’t made any huge differences to my life, it has certainly focused my mind in terms of what I want to achieve in my career and professional life and that is very important to me. We don’t get this type of opportunity in school so much, as the careers teacher has to

work with a whole year group, whereas the CO.RE project gave me the chance to experience exactly what I wanted. This has been really important to me and has made me more determined to get the best results I possibly can in my upcoming exams in the hope that I will be able to go on to university and complete a degree related either to Accounts or Business.

There aren’t too many suggestions that I would offer to improve the project. The main thing I would suggest is that the programme continues for a longer time frame so that there could be a longer work experience and build in some interview practice and development as this would be very useful for our future careers. I know a lot of my friends were really interested in the project From the project planning stages, the partners were when I told them about it so to quite clear that an indicator of success would not be if continue the project it would be a student chose to go to university, but rather that great if the opportunity could be beneficiaries felt they had all the knowledge they offered to more students! needed in order to make an informed decision.

3.4 The CO.RE pilot project in Lordelo do Ouro

At Lordelo do Ouro, we implemented the local governance model through different stages, with different stakeholders, through diverse methodologies. The basic assumption was that in order to develop such a project, bringing innovation to the field of local based social intervention, people needed to be engaged and invited to take part in the process as a whole.

The visual representation of the Lordelo do Ouro’s stakeholders, with respect to their “influence” and “interests”

Therefore, from diagnosis to beneficiary profiles, including needs analysis and stakeholders mapping, all the interested parties were asked to participate - people from public institutions, people from civil society organisations, people from the private sector and people who work and live in Lordelo do Ouro.

Telling the story of CO.RE at Lordelo do Ouro in the voice of one of the people involved is the best way to understand how the process took place.

Rogério...

My name is Rogério, I am 46 years old and I was born and live in Lordelo do Ouro. I am now working within an employment measure of the Employment and Training Institute, but when Co.Re. started I was long-term unemployed. I am very concerned with the future of our young and old people and I am scared about the political and economic situation of the country. But I feel good about life: I am busy and I have support from the state. Still, I would like this support to be

over, allowing me to be autonomous. All in all... I am a brave person. And I like Portugal very much.

I heard about CO.RE through ADILO's social worker, when I came for a support meeting. She asked me if I would like to be involved and I was curious about what this transnational pilot project about employability and social inclusion could be. Since the first working session, this initiative involved people from several important organisations (such as the Employment and Training Institute), and it allowed me to know that there are very good projects out there. From the beginning I felt that CO.RE had a very good basis to move forward, as an added value for our territory.

It was also a totally participatory process. Everyone who participated in the sessions was there with their ' sleeves rolled up ', regardless of their background or motivation for involvement.

Although it was a pilot project and didn't guarantee in itself finding people jobs, I think if it continues, it can change the situation. At the minimum, we learnt how to deal with the fact that we don't have a job.

I was involved in the presentation of the project, in the local diagnosis, the stakeholders' mapping, the needs analysis, the international seminar, and my own action plan.

When we worked on the stakeholders' map I was surprised at the amount of private companies that could employ people. I think besides being a pioneer project, it can be an opportunity for change in this territory as a starting point, once it involves finding job opportunities for people and can be adopted by other territories.

It was definetly very enriching, because I was able to get information about many things I didn't know about, and then I could go by myself to look for work, to go to the Employment Centre and find out about this occupational programme I am now in.

The approach behind CO.RE allowed the involved parties to increase employability through promoting people's competences at social, professional and school level. It also set the frame for a network based social intervention involving training instituitions, employers, civil society organisations, public bodies, etc.

As for individuals, well... in my case, I do not have difficulty in speaking with other people, but my participation in these working sessions gave me the opportunity to be able to pose my questions in a much easier way.

Besides this development of competences, I also believe this approach promotes individuals to make new links and connections. When I went to Glória Roma, a local furniture shop, to deliver my CV, I was with a friend that was also unemployed and when an opportunity for a specific job arrived, he was the one doing it.

Anyway, as a whole, I would say that, because I participated in the project my general state of mind was more open and aware. It was worth it.

If I look at the weaknesses of CO.RE, I would say it should involve the private companies in a deeper way, because otherwise they will still have a distant and superficial perspective on things. Also the fact that it was conducted as a participatory process in every phase added to the contextual constraints of each partner involved, making it slower and more difficult to implement.

On the other hand, the transnational dimension and the international meetings gave all the people involved the opportunity to share experiences within the different projects, giving the chance to look at different approaches and reflect on our own project. Also, I see the active participation of all people involved as a strength, once we could all see our opinions and knowledge about the problems of Lordelo do Ouro valued and considered. We were willing to cooperate and work as a group, and in that way we could find ways to overcome the difficult situation we're in.

This engaging approach is essential to develop such an initiative, although it is very important to know the territory and the needs of the community and the individuals. Having had this experience, it is also clear to me that in order to find effective and innovative responses to the unemployment problem ,we have to establish networks amongst the actors involved (either directly or indirectly).

It was the engagement of these parties that made it possible to define an action strategy to implement in the next phase.

We found 10 different types of profiles, based on different problems we identified, and we decided on concrete plans and people to benefit from the CO.RE experience.

My case is an example: a long term unemployed man, with the goal to go through a skill conversion process. But there were others including:  Arminda, a long term unemployed woman who wanted to create her own business in the field of elderly care;  Dalila, a young graduate in social education looking for her first job;  Catarina, a young person in secondary education, looking to attend a second professional training as a hairdresser;  Pedro, a local small business owner in need of mentoring.

For all these cases, the necessary stakeholders got involved through the Community Shared Agreement, in such a way that each person is undergoing a tailor-made plan. Of course with the notion that only in some months, for some cases, or even years, in other cases, will the success of the measures be visible.

So, in order to maintain this approach beyond the end of the project, I think we should meet more often, with shorter periods between meetings, so we don't 'forget' we are doing this. This would also allow for a closer and more effective articulation between partners, much needed for the success of such an initiative.

I think if this happens, this can be implemented in other territories. If, for instance, the Social Security Services cooperate in such a project, as a way to learn how to work in net with others, it could also be a response to the people who have to depend of the Minimum Income Subsidy or the Unemployment Subsidy.

3.5 The CO.RE pilot project in Seville

The CO.RE project through a personal experience – a final beneficiary

Lidia is a 25-year old woman from Seville, Spain. She completed compulsory education until she was 14 and then training in department store management, hostess, Windows and Microsoft Office. She has limited experience in a variety of jobs such as a Congress hostess, checker assistant, kitchen assistant, and waitress. She has also sold cosmetic products as an independent seller; in fact, she dreams about running her own business as manicurist.

Lidia…

I am a positive person looking for a professional situation. I have some academic qualifications but it doesn’t seem to be enough for what I would like to be, a manicurist. I don’t think I have enough knowledge to try and run my own business. I would like to be independent and live on my own, but I don’t know how to. I’ve always lived with my family, but they are not a good support to me. They all think I am too lazy and I only like to be pretty and go out with my boyfriend. What they don’t know is that I feel depressed and anxious when I try to do something good.

How to get involved

I had been working for a period of time in an enterprise for social insertion for people with difficulties in entering the labour market, such as me. This was a very important chance, as they gave me the opportunity to work for a period of one year in a catering company. I’ve never worked for such a long time in the same place. The ambience was good and I enjoyed the job. During this experience, my mentor in the enterprise talked to me about the possibility of taking part in the CO.RE project, and completing a training course about entrepreneurship. Social Insertion Companies (SIC) are cooperative or business companies that realise activities of production of goods or provision of services, with the aim of promoting the incorporation of people at risk of social exclusion into the job market. Within these SIC, people at risk of social exclusion will follow personalised itineraries aiming at improving their employability. After a limited period of time, these beneficiaries are expected to be ready to access the normalised labour market. SIC must be promoted and owned by one or more public entities or private non-profit organisations whose purpose contemplates the labour integration of people experiencing The first thing I had to do within CO.RE social exclusion. was meet my personal mentor from AESIM and complete some interviews about myself: background, education, professional experiences, obstacles in finding jobs, professional dreams, etc.

Participatory process Reasons for an active participation

I was very happy with this because what I’ve always really wanted to do is run my own business in manicure and aesthetics. With the training course they proposed, I could acquire the knowledge and tools that would allow me to do it. Also, this training course gave me the opportunity to meet more people in the same situation as me, so that this would make me feel good and self-confident.

The fact that my tutors were also supporting me to do it made me feel comfortable with this opportunity. They also told me that the Employment Service of Andalusia was behind the training, and that the teachers were public servants. This is very important in order to assure the quality of the training.

CO RE “in action” Organisations involved in

Un plan de formación y vosotros

+ oportunidades

Among the trainees, there were four of us coming from the same company. We already knew each other as we were working together before the training. There were seven trainees altogether, and they all were very nice. We laughed a lot and we also learnt a lot. Not everybody came to all the sessions, but in general all the seven were very interested in finishing the training. Each person had a different background and wishes, but at the end we could work together and interact about what we can do together after the training. I know that some of my colleagues wanted to run a catering company after the training and they were very interested in learning about how to do this. They were always asking the teacher about things related with their idea. But I also think that another person may not take profit from the training because he may need extra support. I personally feel sorry for that.

Structure of the training

The training was organised in three parts: The first part was about competencies. Everything was very active and we had to participate a lot. The trainers were very friendly and had a lot of experience. They cared about us. It started on the 8 of January and ended on the 29 of January 2013. The second part was about the use of Information and Communication Technologies. This part was neither as friendly nor useful as the first one, but I think this information is interesting to know. Personally this was very useful for my business purposes and I will keep the information in case I need it. The teachers were different and also we changed the classroom. It started the 31st of January and lasted until the 14 of February 2013. The third part was related with entrepreneurship, and this was very informative and useful. The teachers were also really good and the content was very practical. They show you how to run a business. I could ask many questions as my intention was to put in practice all this knowledge. It lasted from February, 19th to February, 26th .

For me the most useful part was the third part because it was the one which helped me to learn how to run my own business. I kept all the information they gave us and I will use it whenever I need it. The trainers also gave us many interesting examples about people that have already had a business experience, and this helps to keep you motivated, knowing that it is possible. The part I enjoy the most was the first session about capacities. Teachers were very good, and we played a lot in order to prove the theory. At the beginning I didn’t want to speak but at the end I always wanted to contribute with my opinions. I was very happy to be able to participate as I did. Personally, this part of the course was very useful to overcome my stress and my insecurity.

Personal benefits

I gained many things and I am very happy to be among the first promotion of people having taken part in this training. I think this kind of course should be organised more often, and be open to more people.

More precisely, I have gained self-confidence: teachers allowed me to believe that my idea for a business was feasible. I have acquired business tools to start working on this idea and I have gained a lot of experience from others. I have made many friends who will help me if I need them to take part in my business idea. I also now know something about the Employment Regional Service: I’ve always heard about it but it is the first time I know people from the Service personally. It is also the first time I am working on a European project.

Many things have changed in my life. Now, I know that I can do it, and I will start working towards reaching my objective. Before the project I thought I was not able, like my family told me. Now I am already thinking about it. Before the project I was afraid, but I am not anymore; I know people can help me. Before the project I was shy when talking to Certification delivery people for advice or sharing my ideas, now I can do it without problem. I think I learnt to communicate better, to interact with others and to express my feelings without being afraid.

Making it better

I would like to keep working with the teachers until my project is built. I would like to have further support for any questions concerning my future business, for all the problems I may face along the way.

I think the second part of the project could be friendlier. ICT skills are very important but they are not fun to learn. Perhaps trainers could find a better way to teach them. I would also have liked more case studies in the last training session of people who already run a business, in order to raise questions etc.

I would like more people to have the opportunity to participate in this course: my brother, my friends, etc. I am sure that they would be very happy if they could learn all that I did. There are many people in the same situation as me, who need this help and skill development and self-confidence for entrepreneurship. I think the training should be kept alive for others.

4 CONCLUSIVE REMARKS AND A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER TAKE-UP

CO.RE has represented for the involved players – project partners, other local stakeholders, beneficiaries / participants in the pilot actions – a unique opportunity to test the potential of community-based measures aimed at handling in a comprehensive and integrated way the emerging social problems connected with economic crisis and employment downturn. Throughout the project lifecycle the “promises” and the “setbacks” of local participatory processes have been experienced. These have represented an additional challenge that involved parties have had to handle in order to achieve not only the project objectives but, more than that, a sustainable and meaningful set of policy actions that could practically serve the involved communities.

The following bullet points, and then the recommendations that ensue, concisely describe what has been learned, and how the pilot actions can be improved and further implemented in different policy contexts, and with different target groups.

4.1 The lessons learned

Social exclusion should be considered from a multidimensional point of view. Employment is considered among the main components of policies that can foster social inclusion. In a vision of social exclusion which takes into consideration a multiplicity of deprivation factors, employment is indeed one of the key conditions for, if not a predictor of, social inclusion. At the same time, other factors – such as education, training, healthcare, and housing – need to be attentively monitored and considered for a comprehensive social policy approach. Consistently, a multiplier effect is expected if employment measures are designed in synergy with other policy measures, such as local development, education and training, urban development, etc. Local “alliances” for employment and social inclusion are crucial. Although there is not any legal bases that either define or promote such partnerships, their role is key in the creation of strategic visions and of practical action plans, too. In such alliances, roles, tasks, and responsibilities need to be clearly defined as the signature of an “agreement” implies. In this way cooperation becomes smooth, the pursued objectives are transparent and shared, and the planned actions are meaningful and agreed. It is very relevant to sign a specific memorandum. The act of signing has stressed the commitment of organisations and institutions, and has provided for the official endorsement of the programme(s) for local development, as co-designed by all involved parties. Such a memorandum needs to stay open for further signatures. Its inclusive nature is such that additional signatory parties can join the original group as activities become more complex and the first results are

harvested. The memorandum cannot exclude or be exclusive if improved social cohesion is the goal. There is a general need to adapt the policy making process and the proposed participatory mechanisms to local normative frameworks and regulations, as well as traditions and cultures. The CO.RE pilot experiences de facto range from highly participatory processes, as implemented in Lordelo do Ouro, to more institutional practices led by the local authority as in Massa Marittima. In this respect, throughout the project lifecycle, innovative and challenging governance practices have been proposed and tested in the involved territories. More sustainable and effective results can be achieved if local stakeholders are involved since the design phase. This makes it possible for them to develop a deeper sense of ownership and a stronger commitment with respect to the proposed measures. Also target groups are to be involved with specific information and communication campaigns. In this way they also develop a better sense of ownership of the local development programmes with positive effects in terms of realistic expectations and greater motivation. This condition may also result in previous beneficiaries being the best “champions” of the proposed programmes, willing to promote them and to spread positive information on the related opportunities. Specific actions dedicated to awareness-raising of local stakeholders need to be planned, in order to encourage a real change in people’s attitude. This is needed especially if a culture of “accountability” and responsibility is to be supported. Local actors are to be accountable for the community development. This is true for local authorities, whose policy choices are never neutral and generate consequences on the territory. Businesses are accountable, for instance, for their decisions to invest in human resources development and in an increase of local operations. Such decisions generate great consequences on the local context. Also social enterprises and the broad cohort of third sector organisations are accountable for the impact of their actions. Their presence and role in the labour market is a key component for community and local development. They need to assume a mature role as active players within the economic context and the labour market in particular, enlarging their traditional activities supported by public funding and taking up a professional approach to not-for-profit business. A deep cultural change needs to be fostered and nurtured. By means of communication campaigns and awareness raising programmes, citizens find it relevant to be “accompanied” in acquiring awareness about their own rights and duties vis-à-vis their employability profile and their position within the local community.

4.2 Key recommendations

Some general recommendations can be drawn based on the project results and the analysis that project partners have conducted as an iterative exercise during the pilot phases. As a general remark, all five experiences have stressed the richness and meaningfulness of participatory processes in designing social policies, particularly addressing the employment domain. Adopting a fresh approach which has nothing to do with the consolidated “open coordination” nor with other forms of multi-actor “concertation”, the CO.RE governance model, as adapted to the five different project contexts, requires a minimum set of conditions, specifically concerning the members of the extended “governance group”: institutions, businesses, third sector organisations and social enterprises, as well as the beneficiaries / citizens who participate in the development programmes.

Policies concerning social matters, also comprising employment and local development, should be designed keeping the needs of citizens at its centre.. The related governance model should therefore be citizencentric, not policy-centric. Assuming this viewpoint, citizens are no longer mere recipients of public policies, but become active players involved in the strategic definition of opportunities, boundaries and resources. The local employment and social policies should be person-centric and focus on the “enabling conditions” that allow a person to become autonomous and fully “empowered”. The aim is to support involved participants in the process of assuming full responsibility for their personal development, seizing the opportunities that the local network of stakeholders proposes. This shift of roles and responsibilities is expected to make it possible to overcome passive attitudes generated by traditional welfare allowances. According to this new perspective, the function of third sector organisations and civil society organisations becomes central and should be recognised and encouraged. These players organise citizens’ views and are able to aggregate the individual demands into a collective voice, improving its representativeness and social impact. Methodologies for local needs analysis and the relevant observation mechanisms should be promoted at local level, so to detect local resources, social needs and emerging demands for services and provisions. In this way a systematic approach in the design of specific local policies can take place, based on the combination of strategic visions for community development with evidence-based analyses. At local level it should be recognised as the “polycentric system”, whereby multiple players contribute to community and local development. The new governance model implies that local authorities define the general framework – in terms of rules and boundaries – and then act as facilitators in the design of the strategic vision and of the practical measures to be put in place to make those strategic views come true.

Realistic objectives should be set, as regards the level of participation that can be achieved locally. This in fact very much depends on the local resources, traditions and cultures. In order to achieve greater levels of participation cultural change is often required. The skills and competences of involved stakeholders should be improved, in particular as regards the management of multi-player networks and the related working procedures. The idea of “participation” has indeed posed interesting challenges to many of the organisations involved in the CO.RE pilot phase, which have found it hard to jointly set common objectives, discuss them and collaboratively work to achieve them. Furthermore, in most project countries, local authorities have been challenged in terms of “sharing responsibility” and accountability, recognising the novel role that social enterprises and businesses have been acquiring as promoters and catalysts of local development. Consistently with the previous point, local stakeholders should learn how to manage complexity, finding mechanisms to handle multifaceted problems and assure a resilient response to stresses. This can be easier in a community which shares strategies, programmes and is ready to share resources and toolsets. At the small scale of local communities, this objective can be attained even with limited resources and investments. Strategies for horizontal as well as vertical transferability should be developed and implemented. Horizontal transferability refers to the opportunity to apply the developed governance model and processes to other similar contexts. Actions for horizontal transferability can entail efforts aimed at increasing either the members of the local partnership, or the addressed beneficiaries, or both. Vertical transferability refers to the extent to which a specific governance model and processes can be transferred to other levels of the local political system. Despite the small scale of community outreach activities, broader meaning of implemented actions should be granted. This is possible by using targeted communication strategies, leaving the local partnership open to other local networks, assuring exchanges at super-regional, national and transnational scale. This would also help assure the visibility, and therefore the sustainability, of the policy process, contributing to raise interest on the initiative and generating constructive feedback. A monitoring function that provides on-going data and feedback should be set up. Only in this way is it possible to revise and fine-tune the actions considering the results achieved. Monitoring should be carried out in a professional manner, using quantitative data as well as qualitative pieces of information provided by involved people.

5 REFERENCES

Alfonso Sánchez, R. (2010) "Algunas consideraciones en torno a la propuesta de ley "marco" de Economía Social " en REVESCO. Revista de Estudios

Cooperativos, núm. 102, pp. 7-23, España Bauman, Z. (2007) Modernidad liquida. Ed. Fondo de Cultura Económico. Buenos

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Castel R., Donzelot J., Foucault M., Gaudemar, J-P., Grignon C. (1981) “Espacios de Poder” Ed. La Piqueta, Madrid Comisión Europea (1992) Europa Solidaria: Intensificación del a lucha contra la exclusión social y promoción de la integración. http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:1992:0542:FIN:ES:PDF Comisión Europea (2001) La Gobernanza Europea. Un libro blanco. http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/es/com/2001/com2001_0428es01.pdf Comisión Europea (2010) Europa 2020. Una estrategia para el crecimiento inteligente, sostenible e integrador. Bruselas. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_20102014/president/news/documents/pdf/20100303_1_es.pdf Conejero, E. (2005) “Globalización, gobernanza local y democracia participativa”.

En Cuadernos Constitucionales de la Cátedra Fadrique Furió nº52-53 Ed.

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Social Cohesion - Revised Strategy for Social Cohesion, approved by the

Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 31 March 2004 http://www.coe.int/t/dg3/socialpolicies/socialcohesiondev/source/RevisedStrate gy_en.pdf García Blanco, JM. (2012) La exclusión social en la teoría social de Niklas

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Universidad de Murcia. Murcia Ed.

Herzog, B. (2011) Exclusión Discursiva. Hacia un nuevo discurso de la exclusión social. En Revista Internacional de Sociología (RIS) Vol 69, nº3 Septiembre –diciembre. Ed. Universidad de Valencia. España. (p.607-626) International Labour Organisation. http://www.ilo.org/thesaurus/defaultes.asp (date of the last visit: 16/07/2013) Kooiman J. & Jentoft S. (2009). “Meta-Governance: Values, Norms and Principles, and the Making of Hard Choices”. Public Administration 87(4), 818-836 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2009.01780.x/abstract

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6 ANNEXES

6.1 The CO.RE Partnership

ITALY

- Consorzio Società della Salute delle Colline Metallifere (Project coordinator) www.sdscollinemetallifere.org - Esprit www.esprit.toscana.it - Accademia Europea di Firenze www.aefonline.eu - UNCEM Toscana www.uncemtoscana.it

SPAIN

- Junta de Andalusia, Agencia de Servizios Sociales y Dependencia www.juntadeandalucia.es/agenciadeserviciossocialesydependencia - ONECO - Organización de Educación Comunitaria www.oneco.org - Taller ACSA – Antropología y Ciencias Sociales Aplicadas www.taller-acsa.org/

PORTUGAL

- Junta de Freguesia de Lordelo do Ouro http://jf-lordelodoouro.pt - ADILO - Agencia de Desenvolvimento Integrado de Lordelo do Ouro www.adilo.pt - Inspire Mudança – Comunicação para o desenvolvimento sustentável, Lda www.inspire.pt - Rede Inducar CRL http://www.inducar.pt/

BULGARIA

- Indi-Roma97 Foundation - DARSIK ltd - CEGA - Creating Effective Grassroots Alternatives Foundation http://www.cega.bg

UNITED KINGDOM

- Queen’s University Belfast – Careers Services www.qub.ac.uk - RSM Tenon www.rsmtenon.com - Young Enterprise Northern Ireland www.yeni.co.uk

6.2 The CO.RE website

Available at the following URL: http://www.coreinclusion.eu contains the main project outputs and outcomes, and references to the key project topics:

COMMENTS AND NOTES