QUICK START
According to business, labor and government leaders, the Hungarian
economy must attract new companies and assist existing companies
in their modernization efforts to remain or become competitive
in world markets and to provide job opportunities. Unfortunately,
in the mid-1990s the Hungarian vocational training system lacked
the capability to directly provide assistance to companies
(business and industry) in training workers for specific jobs
and to develop positive attitudes and skills for quality and
productivity.
For these reasons, in 1995 the Hungarian Ministry of Labor
asked the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to assist them to
develop and implement a technical assistance program called “Quick
Start” in their regional Vocational Training Centers
and County Labor Offices. Quick Start was designed to give
them the capability to assist companies to screen workers,
to provide job specific skills training, and to develop the
attitudes and knowledge necessary for high quality products
and services.
During 1995 and 1996 the USDOL Quick Start advisors went to
Hungary to assist the Hungarian Ministry of Labor to accomplish
its objectives in three areas:
1. Provide job specific training to meet the identified needs
of a business or industry that are required to establish new
operations, expand existing operations, or modernize equipment
or production methodology to help them remain or become competitive
in the world market.
2. Establish a close working relationship with industry, business
and the general public to increase the relevancy of vocational
training in Hungary.
3. Develop workers’ attitudes and skills to improve the
quality of the products and services they produce or provide
USDOL-recruited training advisors, working cooperatively with
the Hungarian Ministry of Labor staff, began teaching the staff
of regional Vocational Training Centers the techniques of training
needs analysis, job and task analysis, scheduling, instructional
planning, and program implementation. The training centre staff
then developed and provided specialized and skills training
for displaced or unemployed workers requested by the local
individual industries and businesses that are restructuring,
privatizing, or entering new markets.
Using this Quick Start training methodology, three pilot projects
were been successfully completed at Kisvarda, Debrecen, and
Mohacs in Hungary. The three
pilot projects illustrate how the ‘Quick Start” training program
is facilitating market economy development, generating employment, and contributing
to successful privatization and increased competitiveness in Hungary.
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Beginning with 1993, the Hungarian project (originally called
USDOL Rapid Response Project) initiated the local economic
development component in target areas within effected communities
in Hungary. Implemented in different phases, the component
yielded the following results:
· 31 communities total participated
and received the training for LED
· Of the 31 communities, 44 LED projects were successfully implemented
· Total number of jobs created in the 44 LED projects was 867.
· Total amount of leveraged funds from local communities and
private/public sector investors for all 44 LED projects was
758,000 USD (USAID/USDOL support to projects totaled 85,000)
· Profile of projects by sector:
·
Services – 30 projects (telecottages)
·
Manufacturing – 1 projects
·
Tourism – 4 projects
· Financial - 0
·
Agriculture – 5 projects.
