ESF - IdA projects 

General programme information: 

To support the vocational integration of groups of individuals with difficulties in entering the labour market by means of practical occupational experience in other EU countries the
"IdA - Integration through Exchange" programme fosters transnational mobility and exchange projects.

Support is only provided to project networks that work together with at least one transnational partner from at least one EU member state. The involvement of the local bodies responsible for basic income support is of central importance. Each project cooperates with the local and regional employment agencies, the job centres, joint agencies or optional communities in order to find tailored solutions for each individual jobseeker.

Target groups:

IdA is targeted in particular at the following groups of persons who have difficulties in gaining access to the job and training market: Disadvantaged young people, unemployed young adults and young lone mothers as well as persons with disabilities.

Programme guideline:

Integration through exchange ("IdA - Integration durch Austausch")

First Call (IdA I):

"Increasing the employment opportunities of disadvantaged young persons and unemployed young adults through promoting transnational exchange and mobility projects"
(October 2008)

Second Call (IdA II):

"Enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities by supporting transnational mobility projects and exchanges of experts" (September 2010)

Programme duration:

October 2008 to 2015

Priority:

E (transnational measures)

Contact:

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Group European Funds for Employment
Division EF 2 - Implementation of the European Social Fund
Mechthild Jürgens
Tel.: +49 (0)228 99 527-2065
E-mail: mechthild.juergens@bmas.bund.de

IdA I: Disadvantaged young persons and unemployed young adults (first call) 

The "IdA - Integration Through Exchange" programme started in October 2008 with a first call for projects to "increase employment opportunities for disadvantaged young persons and unemployed young adults by promoting transnational exchange and mobility".

Since May 2009, 69 project networks have been working to improve the occupational prospects of unemployed young people with a financial volume of approx. 75 million Euro from the European Social Fund plus 18 million Euro from the budget of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Funding is provided to project networks at the local and regional level on condition that the basic income support providers (joint agencies, approved community providers and local authority agencies and employment agencies with separate responsibilities) and/or the employment agencies form part of the project association.

The regional distribution of the 69 project networks receiving funding is as follows:

Transnational partnerships: 

IdA II: People with disabilities (second call) 

In September 2010, a second call for projects "to enhance employment opportunities for people with disabilities by promoting transnational mobility and exchanges of experts" was made. In spring 2010, 45 project networks were launched with a financial volume of approx. 45.7 million Euro from the European Social Fund plus 5.3 million Euro from the budget of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Moreover the project networks receive 3 million Euro from the National Rehabilitation Fund attached to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The objective is to give 4,000 participants, including 800 persons with a recognised severe disability, an opportunity to improve their occupational prospects.

Its main focus was a mentored stay in another EU Member State for a period of 1 to 6 months (internship, job camp, training). As a support instrument IdA complements the existing support architecture for persons with disabilities. Funding is provided to project networks involving the local basic income support providers (job centres), employment agencies as well as advocacy organisations, specialised integration services, rehabilitation funds and self-help organisations of people with disabilities.

Objectives and priorities

• Using stays abroad to enhance the chances of disabled students and school leavers of finding a training place
  Pre-vocational training, short-term qualifications and traineeships in other EU countries are used to help young disabled students and school leavers to develop the maturity necessary for training and employment and to improve their employability. 
• Using traineeships in other EU countries to help young unemployed persons with disabilities make the transition from initial training to employment
  After having completed vocational training young adults with disabilities rarely have a smooth transition to employment. Gaining practical work experience through traineeships in other EU countries can help to ease the transition to employment.
• Enhancing the labour market integration of unemployed adults with disabilities through traineeships abroad
  Unemployed adults with disabilities find it particularly difficult to leave unemployment and return to the labour market. Above all skilled adults with practical work experience are to be given the opportunity to go to undertakings, enterprises and public agencies in other EU countries for traineeships and observation visits. 
• Initiating transnational study visits of labour market experts and representatives of self-help organisation of people with disabilities
  In connection with the afore-mentioned stays abroad of the participants themselves, there is the opportunity for labour market experts and representatives of self-help organisations of people with disabilities to undertake transnational exchanges and study visits to Germany.

The regional distribution of the 45 project networks is as follows:

Transnational partnerships: