First Step Towards an Independent Life

The project was introduced between 01.11.2008 and 31.10.2011 in partnership with MMFPSPV, DGPPH (former ANPH) and DGASPC Iasi, being co-financed by the European Social Fund through POSDRU, axis 6.1 Development of social economy and had a total value of 3,883,816 RON.

The objective of the project was the promotion of the structures of the social economy (protected workshops/occupational therapy workshops/protected establishments) in order to help young people socially excluded or exposed to the risk of social exclusion integrate on the labour market.

The target group of the project were primarily young people with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, young people from the child protection system and other young people from vulnerable groups and in terms of secondary target group, specialists in the domain. The area of intervention at the level of young people were Iasi, Constanta, Mures where the foundation has centres and part of the activities designed for the development of the sector were carried out at national level.

The project was oriented towards large areas of intervention:

• Investing in young people and turning disabilities into abilities through counselling and providing them with professional qualification within 8 protected workshops (3 use of ITC; 1 bookbinding; 1 tailoring, 1 craftsmanship, 1 painting, 1 manufacturing of decorative candles). Mediation on the labour market, employment in three social enterprises. Thus, 312 young people have benefitted from the services provided by this project, 24 of which being disabled young people employed within our social enterprise UtilDeco: 12 in Iasi, 6 in Constanta and 6 in Tg. Mures, continuing to be employed within the foundation at the present;

• Investment in developing the social economy sector, represented by workshops and protected establishments, structures aimed in particular at creating jobs for disabled people. Thus, 335 specialists have benefitted from training programmes, study visits, coaching in social economy; organisation of the first edition of the certified protected establishments national fair, with a turnout of 200 people; setting up of resource websites www.utildeco.ro(online shop of products and services created by the 24 disabled young people employed through the project); drafting of first Romanian protected establishments catalog, distributed to over 500 national companies to encourage partnerships and acquisitions from certified protected establishments, creation of 3000 maps of presentation of the social enterprises developed within the project under UtilDeco’s brand respectively.