Employment Services

National employment services in market transition countries are often characterized by a focus on passive labor market programs such as unemployment benefit payments, a lack of customer service orientation, and a lack of public trust. These institutions must cope with rising unemployment and labor disputes, poor access to labor market information, and an increased demand for services from an already over-extended staff. Programs designed to work within the realm of state-owned enterprises leave government officials ill-prepared to deal with new service demands that emerge in a rapidly changing labor market.

Active Labor Market Programs

WSI helps public employment agencies direct their efforts toward client-focused services such as vocational guidance and counseling, job search training, interview and résumé assistance, employer outreach, job fairs, pre-layoff assistance, and job clubs to address the ever-changing needs of job seekers and employers. WSI believes that vocational counseling is a vital part of the public employment service's ability to determine whether workers become active job seekers or long term unemployed.

Capacity Building

WSI offers assistance with automated information systems to improve the labor exchange process or labor market data, collection and analysis. WSI also helps develop performance measures to allocate resources from the national to regional and local levels of employment service administration. In addition, WSI assists in workforce policy development through such mechanisms as advisory councils that bring together the many facets of workforce development -- business, labor, public education, higher education, economic development, youth activities, and employment and training. Advisory councils strengthen industry ties to match recruitment, placement, and training programs to employer and labor market demands. WSI also helps modernize employment operations by continuously building on best practices and program improvement methods and by restructuring operations for more efficient and effective functioning.

Pre-Layoff Assistance

WSI helps local labor offices work with community, employer and worker representatives to adjust to industrial restructuring by cooperating in early intervention methods and rapid response services. These methods involve coordinated efforts to provide labor redeployment support, typically as temporary, intensive onsite services tailored to the specific needs of the local workforce. Assistance includes instituting labor-management cooperation in planning pre-layoff assistance, designing social assistance plans tailored to worker needs, and creating on-site transition centers. These centers are where workers can register for unemployment benefits, receive vocational guidance and referral to training or small business assistance programs, receive pre-layoff advice and job search assistance, and participate in job club and peer counseling activities to help address the psychological impacts of job transition.

Public Affairs/Social Marketing

A public employment service can be crippled by a lack of public trust and information about evolving programs to help its clients. WSI's public affairs/social marketing interventions improve government's ability to communicate controversial reform policies and service changes to the public, and to manage media relations, particularly addressing the politically sensitive issues of labor market reform and industrial restructuring. WSI helps public officials develop a cohesive message and implement strategies for transmitting that message through a variety of media.

PROJECTS:

Anglophone Caribbean and Suriname: Labor Exchange Project (2000-2004)

Donor: USDOL
WSI provided technical assistance to automate labor exchange functions in One-Stop employment centers in Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and Suriname. WSI also developed technical requirements and next steps to implement a region-wide automated job matching system.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Labor Market Information Systems Procurement (1997-1998)

Donor: USDOL
WSI developed specifications and procured hardware and software for a nationwide Labor Market Information System. WSI formed and trained an Employment Institute workgroup that developed bid documents, evaluated bids, and finalized and awarded service delivery contracts.

Bulgaria: Employment Services Evaluation Program (1997-1998)

Donor: USDOL
WSI designed and implemented a regional level employment service performance measurement program along with a national assessment manual, training program, and assessment tools.

Bulgaria: Social Insurance Reform Training (1997-1998)

Donor: USDOL
WSI partnered with Georgetown University to develop and provide two university-level social marketing courses for public information and education staff of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI). Course materials and training were provided for a total of six weeks of instruction to seven NSSI staff including classroom sessions, seminar discussions, presentations and field trips. The NSSI public relations department was identified by USAID as a pivotal element in Bulgaria's plan to implement a national social marketing strategy on pension reform.

Macedonia: Employment Bureau Automation Procurement;
Labor Market Information System Design (1997-2000)

Donor: USDOL
WSI provided technical assistance to procure hardware and software and to assess the Employment Bureau's readiness for automation. WSI monitored software development and testing and recommended improvements in quality and efficiency as well as developed plans for its installation.

WSI assessed Macedonia's labor market information system, report publication, and distribution processes. WSI designed improvements and developed an action plan for implementation. WSI also trained Employment Bureau staff in the collection, analysis, production, use and distribution of labor market information.

Macedonia: Partners for Economic Development in Macedonia (PRiSMa) Project (1999-2004)

Donor: USAID, USDOL
Rapid Response: WSI implemented its Integrated Community Development Program (ICDP) which built the capacity of national ministries to address worker, enterprise and community adjustment issues caused by closure of State-owned enterprises and the refugee crisis from the war in Kosovo. Rapid Response activities were implemented through Labor Management Adjustment Committees to promote cooperative relationships in downsizing enterprises to address the employment needs of redundant workers in 26 communities. Industries included mining, food processing, manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, construction, fabrication, tourism, and agriculture. The size of firms ranged from 42 - 1400 employees. Of the 2,019 jobs slated for layoff, 1,713 workers were able to retain or find new jobs as a result of transition services including training, peer support, and counseling.

Poland: Dislocated Worker Project (1998-1999)

Donor: USAID, USDOL
WSI formed17 Labor Management Adjustment Committees in enterprises experiencing mass-layoffs in the Silesia Region as a result of restructuring in the coal mining, energy and steel industries. The project was instrumental in saving 2,327 jobs. WSI's peer counseling program was also adopted by the Solidarity trade union's regional board to help committees plan service delivery systems using a peer counselor's intimate knowledge of the workplace environment and community resources.

Poland: Local Partnership Model Project (2002-2004)

Donor: USDOL
WSI sustained nationwide capacity to implement programs for dislocated workers and public relations and advocacy through 17 regional laws and the national Promotion of Employment and Labor Market Institutions Act. Master trainers in all programs were established involving 157 regional and 449 county level partners in all 16 regions of Poland, encompassing 232 communities. In addition, 3 inter-firm Labor Management Adjustment Committees were created and 228 Peer Counselors supported 56 Job Clubs.

Poland: Vocational Counseling and Testing Project (1997-1998)

Donor: USDOL
WSI improved the testing and assessment practices that Poland's local labor offices used as part of vocational guidance and counseling. Labor office staff were trained in counseling methodologies and test implementation through a train the trainer program. We also integrated project activities with the World Bank's counseling-related Computer Information Delivery System.

Romania: Labor Redeployment Project (1997-2003)

Donors: World Bank, USAID, USDOL
WSI provided technical assistance to the Romanian Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity specifically targeted to regions experiencing massive redundancies in coal mining.

Active Measures: Active labor measures services were provided to 80,282 workers including pre-layoff services, social and career counseling, labor market information, job search assistance, placement and relocation assistance, training and retraining services, small business development assistance, and business incubators development. Responsibility for implementing project programs was assumed by 644 public or private institutions. Project results were evaluated through an independent net impact study which concluded that there was a positive impact on employment and incomes. Employment-related active measures proved to be the most efficient, with the fastest results for participants. The Government of Romania enacted 6 new regulations or policies to support implementation of worker adjustment programs, and adopted active measures as regular activities of the National Agency for Employment (NAE). The NAE's budget allocated to worker adjustment programs increased by 433% to $2.557 million.

Public Affairs: Media and Public Information represented one of four technical components. WSI's assistance helped launch the NAE's active measures programs through a planned and targeted media campaign that increased public awareness. WSI also facilitated the start-up of a Media and Public Relations Office through staff training, media research, campaign development, and on-camera media training. A public survey indicated a 26% increase in awareness or acceptance of the NEA and its services.

Serbia Employment Promotion Project (2004-2006)

Donor: World Bank, Serbia Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
WSI provided technical assistance to the Serbia Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Policy to implement its $4.5 million World Bank labor redeployment loan. WSI demonstrated public employment service reforms in Nis, Kraljevo, Pancevo and Lazarevac and later in Bor, Majdanpek and Pirot based on success in the first pilot sites. Enhanced employment services included job search, job clubs, job fairs, performance measurement, employer relations and targeted services. Nine enterprises established pre-layoff services and enterprise social planning to address worker needs while 8 Worker Transition Centers were equipped and staffed.

Tanzania: Labor Exchange Project (2000-2004)

Donor: USDOL
WSI created in Dar es Salaam the first labor exchange center in Tanzania since services were disbanded in 1975. Technical assistance and training was provided staff of the Ministry of Labor, Youth Development, and Sports who lacked basic skills in workforce development. This also involved refurbishing and equipping a government building and development of operational procedures for such services as job matching, job development, vocational guidance, job search, and training referral. By project close, the Government of Tanzania had assumed 100% of the cost of operating the labor exchange center and was exploring expansion to other areas.

Ukraine: Worker and Regional Economic Adjustment Project (PARTNER) (2000-2003)

Donor: USDOL
WSI strengthened the capacity of the National Employment Service (NES) to provide services to the unemployed, job seekers, and communities impacted by mass layoffs.

Employment Service Capacity Building: Eleven local employment centers in four regions were developed into Model Service Centers. Over 2,000 national, regional and local employment center specialists were trained in Employer Relations, Targeted Services for Women and Youth, Vocational Guidance and Counseling, Public Affairs, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and Rapid Response programs. All six components were fully integrated into the curricula of the National Employment Service Training Institute to ensure nationwide replication.

Public Affairs: WSI developed a long-term public relations strategy to help the NES build better relationships with clients and stakeholders to increase use of its services. Training was provided to 75 employment center managers, public relations experts, and community social partners in developing public relations campaigns that explain the benefits of their services to job seekers and employers. Topics included campaigns about potential trafficking hazards for women in employment abroad and in starting a small business. A comprehensive, how-to guide for public affairs officials tailored to Central and East European government officials was also provided.

Rapid Response: WSI demonstrated Labor Management Adjustment Committees and Worker Transition Centers to assist Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers in the community of Slavutych and Donetsk coal miners in Gorlivka. Three committees were established as well as a fully functioning and equipped transition center within the Slavutych local labor office. A website http://partner.slavutich.kiev.ua was launched as a clearinghouse for the center's activities and services. WSI also provided train the trainer sessions to representatives from six employment centers and the National Employment Service Training Institute.