The aim of the National Project Support for Individualized Counselling for Long-Term Unemployed Job Seekers is to
support employability of long – term unemployed jobseekers through individualized counselling.
The project is implemented through two main activities:
Activity no. 1 – Balance of competencies for the long-term unemployed.
Activity no. 2 – Support for personalized counselling for the long-term unemployed.

Reasons why the project / program is considered a “good practice”

The current situation on the labour market is characterized by a high share of long-term unemployed in Slovakia.
Unemployment, and especially long-term unemployment (over 12 months), has a negative impact on people’s psyches,
leads to existential frustration, makes it difficult to acquire work habits and adapt to the world of work in the future.
It is essential to support long-term unemployed citizens significantly and effectively when entering the labour market,
because as a result of a failed job search, these citizens lose their motivation and cease to be active. Only a small
proportion of the long-term unemployed currently have access to individualized professional counselling services
provided at employment offices.
The national project increased the availability of individualized and long-term professional counselling services by
increasing staff capacity for the provision of professional counselling services for the long-term unemployed, which
supported increasing the employability of the target group, discrimination, etc.).
The project supported the development of local employment and at the same time contributed to reducing regional
disparities in the labour market. In terms of social and economic impacts, counselling helps to reduce the mismatch
between employers’ requirements and available human resources in the labour market and contributes to shortening
the period of unemployment, supports the development of human capital at the level of aggregate supply and
contributes to better labour mobility.

Managing authority / organisation

Center for Labor, Social Affairs and Family, Špitálska 8, 812 67 Bratislava, Slovakia

Main target group

Unemployed adults

Source of funding

European

Stakeholders involved

Trnava region, Trenčín region, Nitra region, Banská Bystrica region, Žilina region, Prešov region, Košice region

Contribution of the practice in improving / promoting the social inclusion of the beneficiaries

The implementation of the national project contributed to better employment of the long-term unemployed in the labour
market not only by developing their skills needed to enter the labour market, but also by strengthening its motivation to find
employment through long-term and systematic counselling and increasing its activation in job search through set goals and
concrete steps leading to the achievement of the goal.
The balance of competencies, in addition to increasing the probability of returning to the labour market contributed to the
development of the following attitudes, skills and behaviours:
– confront personal and professional preconditions with the requirements of a targeted profession,
– seek information on the labour market and education,
– name one ‘s own skills, personal preconditions and motivations, justify one’ s own professional direction,
– develop, implement and adapt an action plan for the labour market,
– seek the necessary support in your environment,
– use and expand the network of contacts for professional purposes,
– develop a variety of employment alternatives,
– identify priorities between several alternatives.
The counselling program contributed to the development of the following attitudes, skills and behaviours:
– identity and motivation,
– strengths / potential,
– horizons and planning,
– networks and relationships.

Elements of the project / program that could be easily transferred to other contexts

Individualized approach to the client of employment services, motivation and activation of long-term unemployed people to
solve their situation on the labour market.

Other potential target groups to which the project / program could be extended

The target group of this project were only long-term unemployed, the potential of some elements of the balance of
competencies can be used in other categories of unemployed persons, of course after a certain profiling them according to
the perspective of future employment. The Lifelong Learning Strategy 2021-2030 also counts on a certain automated profiling
of unemployed in order to provide a suitable intervention as soon as possible and as accurately as possible.

Participation data 

From measurable project indicators: persons who received intervention: 32,000. Of which ISCED 1 and ISCED 2: 10,000.
Persons aged 50+: 8,000.

Description of the methods of implementation and any recommendations

The aim of the National Project Support for Individualized Counselling for Long-Term Unemployed Job Seekers was to support
employability of long – term unemployed jobseekers through individualized counselling.
The project was implemented through two main activities:
Activity no. 1 – Balance of competencies for the long-term unemployed.
Activity no. 2 – Support for personalized counselling for the long-term unemployed.
Activity no. 1 was intended for the long-term unemployed who have no idea about their employment or who, for objective
reasons, need to change their job focus. Counselling support implemented in the form of a balance of competencies as a
special counselling method, which is aimed at helping to find professional guidance and acquisition, respectively. developing
career management skills.
Activity no. 2 was intended for the long-term unemployed, who are difficult to place on the labour market due to the
existence of certain barriers. Counselling support implemented in the form of individual, group and individualized counselling
activities was focused on the analysis and comprehensive assessment of the overall potential of the long-term unemployed in
terms of employability, identifying barriers, identifying measures to increase employment, mobilizing individual resources and
strengthening motivation. Long-term unemployed to take a proactive approach to tackling one’s own long-term
unemployment.
The national project increased the availability of individualized and long-term professional counselling services by increasing
staff capacity for the provision of professional counselling services for the long-term unemployed, which supported increasing
the employability of the target group.
The project supported the development of local employment and at the same time contributed to reducing regional
disparities in the labour market. In terms of social and economic impacts, counselling helped to reduce the mismatch between
employers’ requirements and available human resources in the labour market and contributed to shortening the period of
unemployment, supported the development of human capital at the level of aggregate supply and contributed to better
labour mobility.

Project / program website or other online reference resources

LINK