More than 180 social workers have successfully completed a four-month training course in labour market integration of socially-excluded persons. This course is part of the European Social Fund project.

Members of staff at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, a number of individuals from the day centres for people with disabilities, as well as professionals from NGOs attended the course.

They received their certificates at the end of a conference on “Labour Market Integration of Socially-Excluded Persons” organised by Agenzija APPOGG yesterday morning.

The aim of the EU-funded project is to achieve a measured increase in the employability of people at risk of social exclusion, as well as to assist them to achieve gainful employment.

A number of representatives from key entities in the employment sector participated in the conference, which focused on employment and vocational training as leading priorities in the national development plan.

Employment and training specifically address the foundation’s priorities in identifying the groups that are at risk of social exclusion, including young people living in, or leaving institutional or foster care, single mothers, victims of domestic violence, people with a disability, people with mental health problems, people who would have undergone programmes at correctional facilities and therapeutic centres, and homeless people.

Addressing the conference, Nationalist MP David Agius praised the foundation’s initiative in providing training opportunities to its members of staff, mostly front-liners, to recognise and assess the public’s needs for social integration.

The foundation’s chief executive officer Joe Gerada said that one of the important roles of social workers is to assist people in vulnerable situations to find a job and supporting them to retain it, since this makes a difference in the quality of life of people at risk of social exclusion.

He said employers have nothing to fear recruiting people who might have certain difficulties, since such individuals are normally very loyal and grateful for having the trust of their employers.

He added that the age of institutionalisation is long past and society is obliged to secure full integration of everyone in the community they live in.