The BBSK employment agency helps people with difficult access to the labour market – the Roma, to find employment. It
implements an innovative supported employment program, which wants to increase their employability in the labour market.
The aim of the Labour Agency is to solve the situation of unemployed persons comprehensively, namely: searching for and
preparing candidates without work habits for the labour market in close cooperation with employers.

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

The Labour Agency addresses the situation of unemployed persons by actively seeking and preparing them for the labour
market. The employment agency prepares for the labour market long-term unemployed and socially excluded people who
have lost their habits and skills, or who have never acquired them. When searching for people, the job counsellors of the BBSK
Labour Agency work with employment offices (registered job seekers) and also with employees of community centres, so that
they can communicate more effectively with people from excluded communities.

Managing authority / organisation

Labor Agency BBSK / Pracovná agentúra Banskobystrického samosprávneho kraja, n.o., Zvolenská cesta 83, 984 01 Lučenec

Main target group

Unemployed adults
Adults disadvantaged due to lack of education and skills
Minority groups (ethnic, linguistic, religious)

Source of funding

Public resources (national, regional, …)
European
Private contribution
Non-profit organization

Stakeholders involved

Banská Bystrica self-governing region – founder, Človek v ohrození – founder, cooperation in supported employment, search
for the long-term unemployed, Centre for Labour, Social Affairs and the Family – searching for job seekers, Community centres
Non – state employment service providers

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

The BBSK employment agency addresses the situation of unemployed people by finding these people and preparing people
without work habits for the labour market. The employment agency prepares for the labour market long-term unemployed
and socially excluded people who have lost their habits and skills, or who have never acquired them.

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

The pilot-tested program of supported employment of marginalized Roma communities of the non-governmental
organization People at Risk, in cooperation with the Labour Agency BBSK, is expanding the agency to other groups of
disadvantaged applicants on the labour market. The employment agency will prepare for the labour market long-term
unemployed and socially excluded people who have lost their habits and skills, or who have never acquired them.

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

Long-term unemployed and social exclusion, not only from Roma communities (homeless people, detainees from institutions
serving imprisonment, long-term sick).

Description of the methods of implementation and any recommendations

The BBSK Labour Agency implements a program of supported employment of marginalized Roma communities, which can
also be used for other groups of the long-term unemployed and socially excluded.
The employment agency provides counselling and training activities for clients before the client’s placement and after the
placement on the labour market. Experience with these tools can also be used by other institutions (employment, social
affairs and family offices, community centres).
Before placing the client on the labor market, it focuses on:
– supplementing language and mathematical literacy;
– job skills training according to the requirements of specific employers;
– teamwork, respect for authorities, work discipline;
– resume writing, interview preparation, accompanying clients;
– official affairs of the client – processing of documents.
It helps after the placement of the client when starting work – solving common problems that arise in the workplace;
in understanding the rules of the work process, rights and obligations; with motivation to keep employment; with financial
literacy.
The supported employment program works through the cooperation of several stakeholders, which can be useful for others
who provide social services for socially disadvantaged and socially excluded groups in society.

Project / program website or other online reference resources

LINK