Creating equal opportunities for socially disadvantaged persons in employment, improving the services offered in the region through the Program for reintegration into society, opportunities for further education, vocational training and other forms of learning through working with modern food production machines. These are part of the results achieved through the project implemented by the Centre for development of the South-East planning region in partnership with the Association for counseling, treatment, reintegration and re-socialization of persons addicted to psychoactive substances – “IZBOR”.
The idea was enrichment of the Program for reintegration of socially vulnerable persons, that is offered in the region, with modern resources that will help create conditions for sustainable development through smooth delivery of services and products to end users: vulnerable groups of citizens in need of training and employment, companies in need of skilled workers and buyers in need of quality and safe organic agricultural and bakery products.
Exactly that was made possible through the implementation of the project, the existing services in the South-East region were improved for better inclusion of the marginalized persons in the labor market through procurement of equipment intended for organic production of fruits and vegetables, bakery, packaging and labeling of powdered and granular products, gardening and floriculture. With the help of the purchased equipment and the Programs offered by the Association “IZBOR”, socially disadvantaged people can acquire skills that will contribute to being independent, useful in society and qualified in the labor market.
During the implementation period, three persons were employed who currently acquire work skills within the Reintegration Program, and in the next period, additional employment of persons who are already in the rehabilitation phase in the Association “IZBOR” is expected.
This approach fully complies with the EU’s priorities and strategies in the fight against social exclusion by providing quality jobs, better and better quality of life for vulnerable groups and people who have been on the unemployment list for a long time due to their lifestyle.
The duration of the implementation of „Academy for reintegration of marginalized persons“ was 9 months within the project Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development, financed by the Ministry of local self-government and the Swiss Agency for development and cooperation.