Prospects for job integration.

Increasingly, the largest share of people temporarily housed in structures similar to WELCOMMON or in flats programs, are refugees that will stay in Greece. But this must be accompanied by an integrated policy and measures to fully  prepare them to work legally, in a way that contributes to taxation and  insurance system and not to push them to exploitation and working for cash.

We also need human and financial resources to fully develop both the educational and the job integration program of those who will stay in our country, through joint efforts with unemployed Greeks.

WELCOMMON aims to:

• Offer opportunities for employment, utilizing the skills and expertise of the guests, through their participation in the organization’s operation and in cooperation with other organizations, bodies and preferably with other unemployed Greek citizens.
• Create a database of refugees’ CVs – both for those living within the structure and outside as well– so as to facilitate their employment process in businesses looking for specific skills and abilities.
• Support the creation of social enterprises with the participation of Greeks and refugees / migrants in the following sectors:

-Repair and reuse of clothes and production of high quality clothes with artistic added value.

-Renting various items at reasonable prices, such as baby equipment (e.g. swings, baby prams), special equipment for people with disabilities and people with chronic diseases (oxygen appliances, special beds, wheelchairs etc.).

– Restaurants with food from different cultures.

We also seek to contribute to improving the skills and abilities of technicians or of people who can work in social care fields, given the lack of well-trained staff, on such fields, in many areas of the country.

We seek to contribute to the exchange of experiences, to reinforce new partnerships on such fields and to improve vocational training policies.

We are convinced that bridges of communication between different cultures, societies and actions can be formed, offering opportunities for the growth of economic and academic activities in similar fields.

Combating Energy Poverty through Social and Green innovation

The issue of energy poverty cannot be encountered through policies and practices based on incentives and direct financial support (for buying oil) to the people facing difficulties, since they are not long term and sustainable methods. It is essential to cover the basic need of every house to heating and decent living conditions. This must be through investments that combat energy poverty, create sustainable jobs and make use of existing but restricted resources, in a wiser more sustainable way using social and green innovation.

We are working to create a fund that will support direct works for energy improvements of households suffering energy poverty. A team of properly trained personnel (both Greeks and refugees/migrants) will in cooperation with the municipal agencies, contact households willing to participate in energy efficiency programs in their apartment free of cost. And based on an agreement, the team will renovate the apartment, aiming to support the households to reduce their energy bills, improve the quality of their life and decrease their environmental and climate footprint. At the same time, Greeks and refugees/migrants will get a job.

Through this program, Wind of Renewal aims to help the households facing energy and financial poverty. The project aims to:

(a) train young unemployed people, locals, refugees and immigrants that already have some skills and the knowledge, creating an integrated ‘intervention team’, to advise people how to implement practical interventions in households in order to efficiently reduce energy consumption and costs,

(b) train the municipalities that will participate to research and collect data on buildings and houses facing energy poverty,

(c) collect data, via a GIS system for example or by mapping, for possible interventions, aims and results, costs etc,

(d) low-cost interventions to reduce energy poverty,

(e) transfer experience and good practices. Municipalities’ employees from social services will be trained to diagnose needs and record these households which are experiencing energy poverty,

(f) Creating a cooperating network of people that are interested in the topic of energy poverty and energy reduction and will be a tool for employment.

While the range of the people that the project refers to is wide, including locals, refugees and immigrants, and the percentage of households facing energy poverty if high in Greece (38%), we want to start with a number of 400 households and a team of 5 persons. Therefore we are looking for resources to be able to provide salaries for 5 people, materials and staff for low cost interventions in 400 households (insulating materials, energy efficient appliances, transportation costs, the research and the data collections-reporting).