Physical to virtual: challenges and opportunities for a neighbourhood-based employment support initiative

PurposeThis paper aims to explore challenges and opportunities of shifting from physical to virtual employment support delivery prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It investigates associated changes in the nature and balance of support and implications for beneficiary engagement with programmes and job search.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on longitudinal interviews conducted with beneficiaries and delivery providers from a neighbourhood-based employment support initiative in an English region with a strong manufacturing heritage between 2019 and 2021. The initiative established prior to the Covid-19 pandemic involved a strong physical presence locally but switched to virtual delivery during Covid-19 lockdowns.FindingsMoving long-term to an entirely virtual model would likely benefit some beneficiaries closer to or already in employment. Conversely, others, particularly lone parents, those further from employment, some older people and those without computer/Internet access and/or digital skills are likely to struggle to navigate virtual systems. The study emphasises the importance of blending the benefits of virtual delivery with aspects of place-based physical support.Originality/valuePrevious studies of neighbourhood-based employment policies indicate the benefits of localised face-to-face support for transforming communities. These were conducted prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the more widespread growth of virtual employment support. This study fills a gap regarding understanding the challenges and opportunities for different groups of beneficiaries when opportunities for physical encounters decline abruptly and support moves virtually.

Réforme du régime de prévention en SST au Québec : analyse critique, sensible au genre et aux autres sources d'inégalités

Nous examinons le potentiel et les conditions de l'efficacité de dispositions clés de la réforme du régime québécois de prévention introduite par la Loi modernisant le régime de santé et de sécurité du travail (LMRSST) en septembre 2021. Pour ce faire, nous mobilisons la typologie en deux axes proposée par Tucker (2007) afin de caractériser la citoyenneté au travail en SST, et ce, dans une version renouvelée par une perspective sensible au genre et autres sources d'inégalités. D'une part, nous traitons des changements à la participation représentative, à l'influence des travailleur.euse.s et au contrôle interne, ajoutant l'examen de la protection de toutes les personnes au travail (sans égard à leur statut d'emploi) et de la responsabilisation le long des chaînes de valeur. D'autre part, nous traitons du contrôle externe et proposons de tenir compte de la couverture des risques souvent invisibilisés du travail des femmes. Le projet de loi initial reproduisait cette sous-estimation de certains types de risques. Devant l'opposition, l'adoption de dispositions clé a été reportée et un régime intérimaire établi. La LMRSST permettra, à terme, la couverture de l'ensemble des secteurs d'activité par des mécanismes de prévention (contrôle interne) et de participation représentative des travailleur.euse.s;au prix cependant d'un risque de conformité formelle plutôt que réelle quant au contrôle interne, un niveau variable d'influence des travailleur.euse.s et de l'affaiblissement de plusieurs conditions d'efficacité des mécanismes de participation. On peut anticiper des obstacles à l'exercice de leurs droits par les travailleur.euse.s non syndiqués et des petits établissement. Le Réseau de santé publique n'a plus un accès systématique aux établissements et on ne sait rien sur les ressources dont celui-ci comme l'inspectorat disposeront. Il reste à voir dans quelle mesure les travaux réglementaires paritaires à venir apporteront des avancées en prévention et en même temps, renforceront plutôt que d'affaiblir la citoyenneté au travail. Précis Nous examinons le potentiel et les conditions de l'efficacité de dispositions clés de la réforme du régime québécois de prévention introduite par la Loi modernisant le régime de santé et de sécurité du travail (LMRSST) en septembre 2021. Pour ce faire, nous mobilisons la typologie proposée par Tucker (2007), et ce, dans une version renouvelée par une perspective sensible au genre et autres sources d'inégalités sociales. L'analyse du contenu du régime de prévention défini par la LMRSST s'appuie sur un état des connaissances quant à la portée et aux limites des stratégies étatiques en prévention, une revue de littérature sélective examinant l'application, la portée et les limites du régime pré-LMRSST et sur l'examen des mémoires déposés à l'occasion des consultations publiques sur le projet de loi.Alternate :We examine the potential effectiveness of key provisions of the Québec prevention regime as reformed by the Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime (AMOHS) in September 2021. We expand Tucker's (2007) two-axis typology characterizing citizenship at work to include a perspective sensitive to gender and to other sources of inequalities such as class and race. In this expanded model, the right to representative participation, worker influence and internal control extends to all workers (regardless of employment status), and includes accountability along value chains. In the expanded model,risks addressed by the prevention regime, and subject to external control, include often invisibilized risks associated with women's work. In the face of opposition to the initial reform bill, which underestimated the risks associated with women's work, adoption of key elements of the reform – the provisions on preventive and participatory mechanisms – was postponed and an interim regime established. The AMOHS will eventually allow for worker participation mechanisms aimed at increasing internal control in all sectors. This, however, comes with a risk that internal control will result in cosmetic rather than substantive compliance, lead to inconsistent levels of worker influence and undermine some of the conditions that underpin effective participation mechanisms, especially for non-unionized workers and those in small establishments. Further, the Public Health network has lost systematic access to workplaces, and it is not known what resources will be available to it or to the inspectorate. It remains to be seen whether the ongoing joint regulatory process to determine future preventive and participatory mechanisms will strengthen prevention and at the same time bolster, rather than weaken, citizenship at work.

Homeoffice spart ein Zehntel Treibstoff ein

Aufgrund der rapide gestiegenen Treibstoffpreise wird die Debatte zu möglichen Einsparpotenzialen bei Treibstoff wichtiger. So könnten die in der Coronapandemie entwickelten Homeofficepotenziale dazu genutzt werden, um Pendelaufkommen zu reduzieren und so den Treibstoffverbrauch zu verringern. Um Einsparpotenziale zu bestimmen, wird eine für den deutschen Raum vorliegende Untersuchung genutzt, die Homeofficepotenziale für einzelne Berufsfelder ausweist. Diese Potenziale werden mit der Beschäftigungsstatistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit kombiniert. Diese Statistik liefert erste berufsspezifische Informationen zu Pendeldistanzen der Beschäftigten, die über Gemeindegrenzen hinweg pendeln und so besonders von hohen Treibstoffpreisen betroffen sind.Alternate :In light of the sharp rise in fuel prices, this article takes up an important discussion on potential fuel savings. We argue that the work from home capacity, which developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, could be used to reduce commuting and thus fuel consumption. In order to determine the amount of fuel savings, we use a study available for Germany that provides information on work from home capacities for different occupations. Further, we merge this information with the employment statistics of the Federal Employment Agency providing information on occupations and commuting. This approach enables us to identify employees working and living in different municipalities, which are particularly affected by sharp rises in fuel prices.

Lives Put on Hold: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canada's Youth

According to the "scar theory," past unemployment can lead to long-term poor labour-market outcomes in terms of an increased incidence of unemployment in the future, and employment in lower quality and lower paying jobs. To support youth during the recovery and alleviate potential negative long-term effects, Canadian governments (at all levels) need to ensure that young Canadians are equipped with relevant skills, support them to make up for learning losses and consider targeted labour market programs and policies that help encourage greater participation and ease the transition into employment and better jobs for young Canadians who still face difficulties finding employment. According to the "scar theory," past unemployment can lead to long-term poor labourmarket outcomes in terms of an increased incidence unemployment in the future, and employment in lower quality and lower paying jobs (Heckman and Borjas 1980;Arulampalam, Gregg, and Gregory 2001). Canada can do more to support youth who remain unable to find employment and address learning losses to mitigate long-term negative effects by taking the following steps. * Expand employment services (counselling and job search assistance) to reduce unemployment duration and recurrence;* Enhance labour-market flexibility and

Allowance for School Graduate Practice Performance in Slovakia: Impact Evaluation of the Intervention

This study aims to evaluate the impact of a selected active labour market policy measure that has been applied in Slovakia—Allowance for school graduate practice performance—on the employability of young jobseekers and their sustainability in the labour market, and thus, it will also empirically contribute to the field of relevant literature. The policy targets unemployed school graduates, and it enables them to acquire professional skills and practical experience that corresponds with their level of education, work habits, and possible direct contact with potential employers. At the same time, this measure addresses a long-standing gap in the Slovakian education system, namely, the insufficient linkages between the educational process, the practices in the field, and the requirements of the labour market. Using fiscal resources to finance this policy, it provides a natural and logical platform to investigate the relevance of the outcome of this measure in the context of its proclaimed objectives. In light of this, we employed a counterfactual approach to compare the results of the participants who were affected the measure (recipients;treated group) and non-participants, as their counterparts (comparison/control group), using an instrumental variable to mitigate self-selection and selection-bias problems. Our findings show that this policy intervention has a short- or medium-term impact on the employability of unemployed school graduates and the sustainability of their careers. In addition, a positive impact on their monthly wages was observed. We also came to the conclusion that, assuming the measure is linked to other labour market policy interventions, which is aimed at employers that are willing to hire young unemployed people, it would be possible to improve the functionality and effectiveness of support for the unemployed through indirect measures.

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND PROVIDING CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BULGARIA

This research attempts to make a brief review and analysis of youth unemployment rate in the labour market in Bulgaria. It briefly describes programmes and measures existing at the Bulgarian labour market and implemented though Employment Promotion Act and National Employment Action Plan. It attempts to describe and provide a reasonable proposal for changes in order to increase the effectiveness of the applied tools concluding that the relative percentage of unemployed youth is the highest compared to other age groups.

Fostering the data welfare state: A Nordic perspective on datafication

Digital tools facilitating everything from health to education have been introduced at a rapid pace to replace physical meetings and allow for social distancing measures as the Covid-19 pandemic has sped up the drive to large-scale digitalisation. This rapid digitalisation enhances the already ongoing process of datafication, namely turning ever-increasing aspects of our identities, practices, and societal structures into data. Through an analysis of empirical examples of datafication in three important areas of the welfare state – employment services, public service media, and the corrections sector – we draw attention to some of the inherent problems of datafication in the Nordic welfare states. The analysis throws critical light on automated decision-making processes and illustrates how the ideology of dataism has become increasingly entangled with welfare provision. We end the article with a call to develop specific measures and policies to enable the development of the data welfare state, with media and communication scholars playing a crucial role.