Background information

The target of this measure is to increase the employability of refugees from Ukraine. Employability efforts are focused on the development of practical skills for the labour market.

The measure is provided within the project Helping Refugees. It was financed from the state budget in 2022, but in 2023 it started being financed from EU sources and implemented under Operational Programme Human Resources, CARE – ESF.

Within the public employment services (PES) the measure is provided according to the Act No. 5/2004 on Employment Services, Section 54 Projects and Programmes.

Content of measure

This measure is aimed at refugees who have temporary refugee status in Slovakia and employers interested in supporting this measure. Eligible employers include:

• municipalities, self-governing regions and organisations established by them,
• public and private healthcare facilities, hospitals, schools and school facilities, social services providers,
• legal persons providing services in public interest in the field of healthcare, social affairs, education, culture, sport, providing help during catastrophes and humanitarian aid.

Volunteering is provided for 20 hours a week, consecutively for maximum of 6 months. Repeated volunteering is allowed for another 6 months, but with another employer. Financial contribution is provided for both the refugee and the employer participating in the measure.

The amount provided to the refugee is a flat-rate. The amount was €218.06 on of 30 June 2022 and €234.42 as of 1 July 2022. The allowance is intended to cover the necessary expenses related to the performance of volunteering activities. Contribution for the employer consists of two types of contributions:

• contribution to partially cover the costs for provision of volunteering activities and
• contribution to partially cover the wage of person organising the volunteering activities.

People interested in participating in the measure submit their applications in local office of labour, social affairs and family.

Use of measure

In 2022 a total of 521 refugees from Ukraine and 230 employers participated in this programme. About 88.5% of participating refugees were women. About 64.5% of participants among refugees provided elementary occupations, 15.5% volunteered as service and sales workers and 8.9% volunteered in professional and technical occupations. According to NACE, almost 30% of participants volunteered in public administration and compulsory social security. About 17% volunteered in education and 16% was in the sector of human health and social work activities.

A total of €392,056 were spent in the measure in 2022.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment Unemployed Workers in care facilities Migrants or refugees in employment Workers in essential services	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies Local / regional government Public employment service Public support service providers	European Funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No information available on social partners' involvement in designing, implementing and monitoring the measure.

Views and reactions

No information available on social partners' views on the measure.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 04 May 2022: Measure No. 3 Volunteering activities (Opatrenie č. 3 Dobrovoľnícke činnosti/ (міра №3) Волонтерська діяльність) (www.upsvr.gov.sk)
• 04 May 2022: Project „Helping Refugees – Measure No. 3. Information leaflet (PROJEKT „Pomáhame odídencom - opatrenie č. 3. Informačný leták) (www.upsvr.gov.sk)
• 08 February 2023: National Project Helping Refugees (Národný projekt Pomáhame odídencom) (www.ludskezdroje.gov.sk)
• 24 April 2023: Announcement on the possibility to submit applications for a financial contribution (Oznámenie o možnosti predkladania žiadostí o poskytnutie finančného príspevku) (www.upsvr.gov.sk)
• 31 May 2023: Annual evaluation of active labour market measures implementation for 2022 (Vyhodnotenie uplatňovania aktívnych opatrení na trhu práce za rok 2022) (www.upsvr.gov.sk)