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Acting for employment and fair treatment

2024-3-DE04-KA152-YOU-0002721802024Mobility of young peopleongoing
Countries: DE|MK|RS|HU|TR|RO · Grant: €38,144
Equal access and transition to labour marketDevelopment of disadvantaged rural and urban areasEmployability

Objectives

In Germany, Roma youth experience considerable obstacles in accessing the labor market due to discrimination and systemic barriers. According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report on Roma inclusion, “Roma in Germany continue to face challenges in gaining access to the job market due to deeply ingrained prejudices and a lack of support services that cater to their unique needs”(Source: FRA, 2022). Furthermore, the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency reported that “discriminatory hiring practices are still prevalent, with Roma applicants often being overlooked based on stereotypes, which significantly limits their employment opportunities”【Source: German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, 2021】. This exclusion from the job market is also linked to gaps in education and vocational training specific to the needs of Roma youth. European Commission report stated, “In Romania, the employment rate for Roma is significantly lower than the national average, primarily due to discrimination, lack of access to education, and barriers to vocational training”【Source: EC, 2021】. Additionally, the Fundamental Rights Report 2022 emphasized, “Roma youth in Romania often experience a hostile environment when seeking employment, facing direct discrimination and bias from employers”【Source: FRA, 2022). The situation for Roma youth in Hungary is similarly challenging. According to the EC communication on Roma equality, inclusion, and participation, “Roma in Hungary are disproportionately affected by unemployment, particularly due to the exclusionary practices within the education system”【Source: European Commission, 2020). In Serbia, the integration of Roma youth into the labor market remains a critical issue. A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study pointed out, “Young Roma in Serbia face a triple burden of exclusion: from education, the labor market, and social services, primarily driven by systemic discrimination and poverty”【Source: UNDP, 2020). In North Macedonia, Roma continue to encounter extensive barriers to labor market access. The EC 2022 report on Roma integration states, “Roma in North Macedonia face persistent discrimination in employment, with youth unemployment rates among Roma significantly higher than their non-Roma peers”【Source: European Commission, 2022】. The European Commission’s report on Turkey’s progress toward EU accession highlighted that “Roma continue to face severe social exclusion and economic marginalization, with employment opportunities for Roma youth being particularly limited due to discrimination and lack of education”【Source: EC, 2021). Amaro Drom is an organization focused on supporting young people originating from Roma and non-Roma communities within the city of Berlin.For an extended period now, we are helping these populations navigate through their education and job training. Since many of them currently struggle to communicate effectively in German, we offer consultations in several languages, including Romanian, Bulgarian, Rromani, Serbian, etc. As a result, these youngs often have difficulty managing intereview or making CVs. This challenge does not only complicates their integration into the German labor market—where there is paradoxically a shortage of workers in many fields—but can also be a factor in discrimination. At the same time german society in general are discriminating Roma young people.This is primarily due to the discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes held by employers. When we discuss these issues with our partners, they reveal that they encounter similar challenges with Roma or other disadvantaged groups. For example, the youth groups we invited to our project shared personal experiences of facing such problems. After discussing these issues with the young people, they decided to initiate this project. Considering this, and understanding the difficulties faced by the young people we work with, we, along with our partners, have agreed to organize this project with the main goal of facilitating easier access to employment for these young individuals. The objectives of our project are: To enhance the ability of 42 young people to handle job interviews more effectively during the project. To help the 42 participants recognize prejudice and all forms of discrimination on labour market throughout the project. To enable the 42 participants to use theater as a tool to combat and overcome discrimination during the project. To boost the confidence and self-esteem of the 42 participants during the project. We address the following needsof the young people: To learn how to introduce themselves in interviews, create a CV, and write a motivation letter. To increase their confidence and self-esteem and improve their public speaking. To learn how to confront and combat discrimination and prejudice in daily life . To gain knowledge about how to owercome exclusion and discrimination when they search for a job.

Project partners (6)