Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Equal- community initiative

• promotes equal opportunities at work

• Funded by • ESF

• Ministry of social affairs and health

• cities of Turku, Helsinki and Lahti

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• goal 1 ) is to employ people with a vulnerable labour market position (disabilities or long-term unemployment)

• goal 2) after the project is finished to have a profitable social firm

• goal 3) to create services to the local area- increase well-being

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• social enterprise in Finland– produces goods or services– at least 30 % of the employed are with a

disadvantaged labour market position – normal wages and rules

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• social enterprise in Finland– forthcoming law proposes

• benefits to employees for a certain period (5 years)

• no benefits to enterprise

• no funds to rehabilitation

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Local social enterprises– Maunula, Helsinki

• services to homes (cleaning, assistance, recycling, housing advisor)

– Halinen &Kohmo, Turku• computer classes and recycling, housing advisor

– Liipola, Lahti• care of elderly & forest clearing, after-school activities

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Local social enterprises– all three projects are run by local tenant’s organisations

– 16 employed

– most of the employees are local and have been long-term unemployed

– most have no or little experience in the work

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Local social enterprises

– in-work training– enterprise coaching provided by project – rehabilitation is missing, which is a big

problem

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Local social enterprises– goal is to have three social enterprises in the

end of the project (11/2004)– co-operative is the most likely type of firm– the co-operative might include other people as

well (in Maunula local computer aid project employees ?)

Social enterprise as amodel for employing people locally -

experiences from anEqual-project

• Local social enterprises– the project is based upon

local knowledge (what the area needs )

– for ex. in Maunula cleaning and other care for elderly, as the city has diminished their services and at the same time there is a lot of need for such services -> there has a lot of demand