Advancing Inclusion and Equal Opportunities for Foreign Workers in Social Services: FWSS Project
on May 28, the Social Employers presented the FWSS project objectives and outcomes during an event in Brussels. The event gathered 20 participants from European and national level organisations.
The FWSS project aims to remove barriers and create equal opportunities for foreign workers, to support their inclusion in the social care labour market.
The event started with the presentation of the summary analysis of the country reports conducted in each participating country (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Franche and Greece). The country reports are based on two online questionnaires and interviews conducted in the participating countries, among social service providers and foreign workers working in the sector. It also examines the legal aspects and frameworks surrounding the employment of foreign workers in the social services sector. These reports provided a detailed understanding of the various legal contexts and identified common barriers and opportunities.
The second part of the meeting focused on discussing the recommendations and guidelines at European level. These recommendations, derived from research and the survey’s findings, aim at enhancing the inclusion of foreign workers in the social services labour market. The guidelines target HR personnel and managers across the EU and specifically in the five project countries, offering a roadmap to create a diverse and inclusive environment. The recommendations highlight a set of initiatives to address the four main challenges identified in the country reports:
- Attractiveness of the sector
- Administrative procedures
- Support for foreign workers at work
- Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
The event concluded with the presentation of the project MOOC designed specifically for managers and HR personnel in the social services sector. This training program aims to equip with the necessary skills and knowledge to better integrate foreign workers and enhance the overall quality of social services. The soon to be realised MOOC will be available in multiple languages: English, French, German, Czech, and Greek.
The 30 months project is coming to an end in July. The FWSS partners and stakeholders gathered on 22 May in Czech Republic to hold the project final conference and coordination meeting.
Supporting documents