Transcript Folie 1

Vocational Training Programmes and Labour Market Activities:
A challenge for Roma and society at large
Introductory Lecture in Workshop 2 of the conference on Roma in Education and the Economy
Bratislava, 120-21 October 2006.
The case for raising the educational
attainment level of Roma
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Globalisation, technical change,
credentialism, the increasing role of social
capital and networking – all are contributary
factors for the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation of the Roma in Europe.
Unskilled labourers and persons with limited
social networks into the mainstream society
are amongst the losers of this post-industrial
socio-economic development
One way to improve the socio-economic
opportunities of Roma is through raising their
educational attainment level and to include
them as a target group in further education
and active labour market policies
The need for concerted action
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In order to be effective, endeavours to raise
the educational attainment level of the Roma
have to envisage a concerted action of socioeconomic institutions, civic society and the
institutionalised will of the Roma themselves on
local, national and supranational level.
This is necessary in order to build trust and
commitment on the part of the actors involved
Complex institutionalised commitment
needed to raise education and training
levels
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In order to move the agenda of further education and
training forward, guiding lines and principles of
supranational institutions like the EU are setting the
scene for efforts to promote and target the socioeconomic integration of Roma as a special group
amongst marginalised groups in our societies.
The equal opportunities and antidiscrimination agenda
of the EU is an important instrument, but the
implementation and application to the group of Roma
takes place in the various nation states and
communities.
This calls for a process of awareness building and
cooperative effort on the part of the society at large
and the Roma themselves in order to obtain the
consensus and support necessary of all parties
concerned.
Complexity of Roma societies: A
challenge for selforganisation in Austria
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The situation of Roma who are currently living in Austria is far
from homogenous.
Distinction between Roma as an autochthonous Austrian
ethnic minority, who are survivors and descendants of the
victims of the Holocaust (Burgenland) and
those who have settled in Austria in more recent times, either
as foreign workers or refugees in the various waves of
immigration to Austria since 1956 (urban areas of Vienna,
Salzburg and Linz).
Their regional concentrations of settlement differ just as well
as their ethnic and cultural background (Lovara from
Hungary, Kalderas and Gurbet from Serbia, Arlije from
Macedonia and later inflows from CEECs, mainly from
Romania) which does not foster social organisation on a
wider Roma scale.
In addition, the official recognition of Roma as an ethnic
minority (Volksgruppengesetz 1976) in 1993 tends to exclude
the newcomers from getting that status, as the latter is
dependent upon a certain period of residence, in general
three generations. Thus contributing to the difficulty of
selforganisation as a lobby group.
Deterioration of the economic situation of
the Roma in Austria since the 1990s
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The low educational attainment level is at least partly
responsible for the deterioration of the employment
situation of Roma .
Particularly older generations have a low educational
attainment level
Over the last 15 years appreciable changes have
taken place, however. For younger Roma the
completion of compulsory education has become
almost self-evident, upper secondary education is not
unusual and university degrees have come within
reach.
This represents a clear improvement with respect to the
past. However, in light of the decline in demand for
low-skilled labour and the need of higher qualifications
to succeed on the labour market, this progress might
prove to be too little, too late .
Improved educational attainment
level in the last 15 years
Proportion of special needs
schoolers in the Roma population by
birth cohort
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45%
40%
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35%
30%
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25%
20%
15%
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10%
5%
0%
1945-75*
*Schätzung
1975-84
1985-1994
Q: Samer (2001), WIFO Berechnungen
Proportion of school dropouts and special needs
scholars has dropped
Compulsory school finishing
certificate has become the
norm
For the first time do Roma
enter higher educational
attainment levels
The success would not have
been possible without the
active promotion of
learning of the Romacommunity (association)
Initial education and further education:
the case of Roma in Burgenland
Highest educational attainment in %
3%
6%
8%
3%6% 2%
24%
Drop-outs + Sonderschüler
Pflichtschule
9%
Lehre
BMS
Matura
FH
51%
1,6%
13,6% have raised their initial educational attainment level
through further education and training. Raising educational
attainment is the key for upward social mobility: 2/3 of successful
movers have a job!
Q: Roma Befragung, WIFO Berechnungen
Strong vocational orientation of the
Austrian education system favours
upskilling of Roma
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Austria has a complex education system with
a strong occupational/professional orientation
General education streams are rare and
prepare to a large extent for university
education. They tend not to be frequented by
Roma.
The strong labour market orientation of
education and training goes hand in hand with
a diverse landscape of specialised
professional associations which often issue the
necessary license to work
Accreditation of competences and skills is
therefore decentralised and requires bridging
institutions to help find the proper and most
efficient ways to satisfy specific needs
Network of institutions to connect the
Roma and their skills with facilitators to
promote employment
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The focus of the network is
on
1: identifying the skills and
needs for upgrading in order
to suit the individual as well
as the local community and
economy,
2. to develop an education
and training programme
which upgrades skills to a
trade level or adds on skills
horizontally, in order to
widen employment
opportunities,
3.to help get into a job –
recruitment centre/cluster of
firms who tend to take
graduates from the further
education centre/college.
Advantage of this approach:
centred on the individual, his/her capabilities and skills
 while at the same time checking the local labour market needs
and thus employment opportunities.
 The integration of special teachers/mentors who are
accompanying the learning process.
All the above are important complements.
The general feeling is that a combination of learning and working
on the job is a faster means of acquiring skills than formal
schooling.
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Development of a mainstream approach
to better initial education and further
education and training
 Cooperation of the Ministry of education (ethnic
affairs department) with
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the education department in the provinces as well
as institutions of adult education and training and
the labour market service
Active integration of civil society of the majority
population as well as Roma associations and
social partners.
Development of guiding lines/principles of further
education, whereby the integration of Roma
constitutes an integral part of socio-economic
development plans of the region.
The integration of Roma into EU-wide networks
promotes the expertise and professionalism of
local actors; it is also helpful in accessing EU
funding.
Conclusion
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Active participation of the Roma community is needed
to promote further education.
This implies that there has to be an active partner on
the side of the Roma to pursue a dialogue with the
local, national and even international level to raise the
awareness level and also initiate a dialogue.
This implies that the Roma themselves have to get
organised in order to speak on behalf of the Roma as a
group.
The heterogeneity of interests within the Roma is no
stumbling block for organisation if the focus of
organisation is on education alone
The civic society and NGOs play an important role as
facilitators in particular when the focus is on education
and training as well as labour market policy.
Conclusion
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There have to be initiatives within majority society that
focus on the role of the Roma.
This is an essential component of higher acceptance
and a higher level of political commitment on the side
of the institutions.
Not any NGO is able to cooperate successfully with the
political institutions of the majority society and the
Roma. In order to be effective, the NGO has to rely on
political and social consensus, or be able to build it.
The organisation has to be on equal terms with policymakers, and be recognized as legitimate voice of the
people. There seem to be two viable options:
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the organisation is well-established, strong and rooted in
the area of activity. It is perceived as catering to the
interests of the whole community, and not just to those of
the marginalised group it is targeting;
smaller, less well-established organisations and single
activists create networks, they work together and build a
strong identity. In this way they are able to act at different
levels, and to lobby effectively.