Work, Market and Integration

Abstract

The multidisciplinary project Work, Market and Integration addresses the local public-private collaboration in developing novel methods for labour market integration. The main research question is how potential tensions between market-informed solutions and solutions based on strengthening target group involvement inform partnerships: project logic (means and goals), norm building and identities of partners and target groups, and dissemination, learning and communication of new methods.

Keywords:

Description

The local public-private collaboration for developing novel methods for a sustainable strategy for integration in labour market is addressed in the multidisciplinary project Work, Market and Integration. The EU strategy for growth and jobs, Europe 2020, involving three mutually reinforcing priorities, a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, uses ESF (European Social Fund) as its main instrument for Increased labour supply, spending 77 billion euros between 2007 and 2013 on public-private partnerships. Collaboration between employers, trade unions, NGOs and public administrations is to facilitate reforms in the field of employment and inclusion, by combating discrimination and by ensuring the access and inclusion of "disadvantaged workers". The Swedish legacy of comprehensive labour market programs and social partners' active involvement in designing employment measures is expected to be favourable for developing new inclusive methods.

The Work, Market and Integration project takes its point of departure in the potential tension between two main approaches to developing innovative employment policies: between the market-informed solutions and solutions strengthening democratic involvement of target groups in designing measures. A second tension exists between two ways of addressing effectiveness: either in the first hand as cost-effectiveness or as democratic effectiveness stressing equality and antidiscrimination. The main research question is how these tensions inform partnerships in three important areas: a) project logic (means and goals) and output, with impact on norm building and identities of partners and target groups b) dissemination, learning and communication of new methods, and c) inclusiveness and organisation of the partnership. Questions addressed in the project include:

a) What is conceptualised as innovative and effective methods and good practices, developed in the Swedish ESF-partnerships?

b) How do the suggested methods impinge on norm building and identities of partners, on participants and target groups?

c) What kind of "innovativeness" and "effectiveness" are facilitated by what institutional conditions?

d) How do these novel employment methods inform the knowledge dissemination, to other organisations and decision makers? What kind of institutional conditions facilitate transforming innovative methods into sustainable change in the partner organisations?



The research in this project has mainly been conducted within the framework of the Thematic Group on Inclusion (TIA).

Follow this link for more information about TIA:

http://www.isv.liu.se/remeso/samverkan-och-uppdrag/tia?l=sv

Publications

Andersson, J. (2010) Arbetsmarknadsprojekt som kooperativ. Erfarenheter från fyra ESF-projekt med ett kooperativt arbetssätt. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2010:2

Engstrand, Å-K. Andersson, J. Vesterberg, V. (2010) Bortom Lissabonstrategin. Om projektarbetares erfarenheter av inkluderingsarbete. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2010:1

Engstrand, Å-K & Vesterberg, V (2011)Att få dom att förändras - Jobbcoaching för arbetslösa i socialfondsprojekt. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:2

Hertzberg, F & Osman, A (2011) Lärande för integration - med eller utan delaktighet och dialog? Om organiseringen av lärandeaktiviteter i ESF-finansierade projekt. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:7

Larsson, A-C (2011) Ohälsan tiger inte still - En kartläggning av hinder för integration i arbetslivet. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:8

Qvist, M. (2010) Att förändra inifrån?: Utvecklingscoacher och samarbete mellan näringsliv och introduktion för nyanlända i Sörmland. Södermanland County Administrative Board. Evaluation of Sörmlandslinjen, interim report.

Rundqvist, M. (2010) Implementering av metoder från nyanländaprojekt - En analys av strategier, ägarskap, samverkan och lärande. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:9

Thörnquist, A (2011) Arbete och integration - ESF-projekt riktade till somalier och romer. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:6

Thörnquist, A (2011) I utkanten av arbetets marknad - ESF-projekt i ett arbetsmarknads- och arbetsmiljöperspektiv. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:3

Vesterberg, V. (2010) (O)likheter och egen makt. Om ett socialfondsprojekt för ökat arbetskraftsutbud. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:1

Vesterberg, V (2011) Alla ska ju ut på praktik - Möjligheter, begränsningar och problem med praktik i arbetslivet som medel för integration. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:5

Åse, C (2011) Moderna svenska individer - Lösningar och problembilder i beskrivningar av ESF-projekt. Vetenskaplig skriftserie från Remeso, Temagruppen integration i arbetslivet, 2011:4