'Inserjovem' and 'Reage' Initiatives: a preventive action - Portugal

In the context of guidelines 1 and 2 of the European Employment Strategy, Portugal has developed two initiatives - Inserjovem and Reage - as new tools which aim to give a new opportunity to all young people and adults before they reach, respectively, 6 or 12 months' unemployment, by means of training, retraining, work experience, employment and/or vocational guidance.

These initiatives involve the development of individual and integrated follow-up methodologies, either to help young people make the transition to working life (Inserjovem), or during the professional (re)integration of unemployed adults (Reage). To implement the above methodologies, the Employment Centres have adopted a common intervention model supported by four key elements: the personal employment plan, the follow-up agreement, the integration teams, and the individual dossier.

To ensure that these new initiatives are implemented effectively, all the key actors were involved actively in the process, and a gradual and territorial approach was adopted to the application of the methodologies. The initiatives have been implemented in the framework of Territorial Pacts and Regional Employment Networks throughout continental Portugal, covering the whole territory by the end of the year 2000.

Five peer countries participated in the meeting: Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Weblinks

• Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
  www.iefp.pt

Participating independent experts

• Athena PETRAKI KOTTIS

  Greece
  Athens University of Economics and Business
• Manuela SAMEK LODOVICI

  Italy
  Instituto per la Ricerca Sociale IRS
• Jean SCHOOS

  Luxembourg
  Jongenheem asbl - Luxembourg
• Luis Gomes CENTENO

  Portugal
  Centre Interdisciplinar de Estudos Economicos (CIDEC)
• Jittie BRANDSMA

  The Netherlands
  University of Twente Dept. of Educational Administration
• Mike CAMPELL

  United Kingdom
  Leeds Metropolitan University