Complementarities between urban and rural areas in promoting ...
Complementarities between urban and rural areas in promoting ... Complementarities between urban and rural areas in promoting ...
COMPLEMENTARITIES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL INCLUSION— 12 —FIRST PILLAR: EMPLOYABILITYIn the area of local employment policy inGermany, this pillar is the best developed of thefour and has the greatest importance in quantitativeterms The starting point for many localauthorities is to tackle long-term unemploymentand dependency on social welfare. As aconsequence, there have been a number ofemployment schemes created such as: youthinsertion schemes and job creation programmesfor the long-term unemployed. These providethe unemployed with the skills to return to thelabour market and firms in the local communityor region go on to recruit the beneficiaries ofthis training. Cologne, in particular, is wellknown for its good practice in this area. This cityalso serves as a model for the current discussionof the social system in Germany. Other examplesinclude Bielefeld, Bremen, Offenbach and GiessenCounty. Inclusion policies are also important inthis context. In Offenbach, for example, 30% ofthe population are immigrants and considerableeffort is made to bring them into the labour market.Measures include inter-cultural job coachingand specific job creation.SECOND PILLAR: ENTREPRENEURSHIPA recent development is the training and coachingof new and potential entrepreneursamong the former unemployed. In Germany therehas been surprising success through the buildingof business incubators. Recent innovationsin the field of local employment policy by microloanschemes are still at an early stage due torestrictive national law. Nevertheless, local strategiesare available to facilitate the building ofmicro-schemes that can be used by new businesses.University spin-offs are also becomingvery important. Local authorities in Offenbachwork closely with a local college to try to supportstudents while they receive training inentrepreneurship. Neighbourhood renewal initiativesare being implemented in most Germancities and it is becoming increasingly importantto incorporate an economic element to theserenewal strategies. One feature of this economicdimension is to support business initiatives andnew local businesses.THIRD PILLAR: ADAPTABILITYAdaptability can be supported on the local levelthrough the provision of local counselling servicesfor those in employment. Information isprovided on successful adaptation to changingrequirements within the workplace. The idea ofopen learning centres has been adapted from theUK and the USA, creating learning facilities indowntown areas in inner cities where people canhave free access to e-learning and self-learningmaterial and counselling services. In a number ofcities, tailor-made training measures have beendesigned especially for small and medium-sizedenterprises and local authorities. Good practiceexamples for this can be found in Graz, Offenbachand Stuttgart.FOURTH PILLAR: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIESThe final pillar of the guidelines prioritises equalopportunities, with the twin social and economicobjective of modernising societies so thatwomen and men can work on equal terms withequal responsibilities, to develop the full growthcapacities of European economies. It recognisesboth the social need to counter discriminationand inequalities between women and men, andthe economic loss resulting from not making fulland effective use of the productive capacities ofall sections of the population.In addition to this focus on closing the gendergap in Europe’s economic and social life, thispillar emphasises the integration of people withdisabilities into working life. This is an importantfirst step towards recognition that the full integrationof disabled people is a fundamental issueof equal opportunities. This, in turn, is also amove towards a wider implementation in theemployment field of the important new antidiscriminationclause of the Amsterdam Treaty.
COMPLEMENTARITIES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL INCLUSIONAN INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICYLabour market policy should consist of an integratedpackage of policies. There are manysynergies that can be used by the local levelapproach. This makes local employment policynot only more effective but also more cost-efficient.An example of good practice for this is theintegrated approach taken by the City of Leipzigin Saxony, eastern Germany. In the region ofLeipzig, the unemployment rate is very high.However, as a result of local policy, Leipzig isnow some steps ahead in tackling unemployment.The City of Leipzig set up a strategy ofcluster management and succeeded in locatingtwo industrial plants of BMW and Porsche. Theyhave embedded this into an overall cluster strategy,exploring what the supply industries andthe services around these automobile plants areand what kind of skills will be needed in theseautomobile factories and the suppliers aroundthem. Leipzig started this initiative long beforemeasures were taken for these plants to trainpeople in cooperation with BMW, Porsche andother companies for future jobs. A large numberof this new workforce is recruited out of the formerunemployed. The whole project was moderatedand coordinated by the City of Leipzigrather than by the National Labour Office or byindividual companies. This is therefore anexample of successful practice for local employmentpolicy and this model should be adapted inmore cities, not only in Germany but withinEurope.CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, there is a great variety of practicalmodels in Germany. It is necessary to bringthese different practices closer together to createnetworks between cities with their respectiveemployment policy departments, to enable themto learn from each other, to maybe benchmarkpractical models against each other and to makeimplementation of local employment policymore effective and more efficient.■ Rural employment: Resolving the negative impact of unemployment in EssexPaul Williams, Rural development Manager, Essex County Council (UK)The Essex Rural Partnership (ERP) was establishedby Essex County Council as a direct response tothe crisis caused by Foot and Mouth Disease. TheERP is an action orientated group. It brings togetheractors from different levels of governmentas well as interest groups in order to improve theliving and working conditions of the people inrural Essex.Urban White Paper and the Rural White Paper.This means that local authorities are now obligedto encourage growth in their counties. TheEssex County Council met these demands by settingup a community regeneration departmentthat focuses on three separate activities: urbanregeneration, rural regeneration and socialinclusion.Why did the Essex County Council getinvolved in rural partnerships?Essex County Council got involved in rural partnershipsas a result of new local government responsibilitiesto provide access to local servicesand facilities, following publication of the UKFive priority areas were identified: the ThamesGateway (from London to Southend), the HavenGateway (from Harwich to Felixstowe), the M11Corridor alongside the Stanstead Airport developmentarea, the Harlow urban district and theRural Renewal Area. Rural Essex comprises allareas outside the major towns and the coastline,including all estuaries and islands.— 13 —
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COMPLEMENTARITIES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL INCLUSIONAN INCLUSIVE LABOUR MARKET POLICYLabour market policy should consist of an <strong>in</strong>tegratedpackage of policies. There are manysynergies that can be used by the local levelapproach. This makes local employment policynot only more effective but also more cost-efficient.An example of good practice for this is the<strong>in</strong>tegrated approach taken by the City of Leipzig<strong>in</strong> Saxony, eastern Germany. In the region ofLeipzig, the unemployment rate is very high.However, as a result of local policy, Leipzig isnow some steps ahead <strong>in</strong> tackl<strong>in</strong>g unemployment.The City of Leipzig set up a strategy ofcluster management <strong>and</strong> succeeded <strong>in</strong> locat<strong>in</strong>gtwo <strong>in</strong>dustrial plants of BMW <strong>and</strong> Porsche. Theyhave embedded this <strong>in</strong>to an overall cluster strategy,explor<strong>in</strong>g what the supply <strong>in</strong>dustries <strong>and</strong>the services around these automobile plants are<strong>and</strong> what k<strong>in</strong>d of skills will be needed <strong>in</strong> theseautomobile factories <strong>and</strong> the suppliers aroundthem. Leipzig started this <strong>in</strong>itiative long beforemeasures were taken for these plants to tra<strong>in</strong>people <strong>in</strong> cooperation with BMW, Porsche <strong>and</strong>other companies for future jobs. A large numberof this new workforce is recruited out of the formerunemployed. The whole project was moderated<strong>and</strong> coord<strong>in</strong>ated by the City of Leipzigrather than by the National Labour Office or by<strong>in</strong>dividual companies. This is therefore anexample of successful practice for local employmentpolicy <strong>and</strong> this model should be adapted <strong>in</strong>more cities, not only <strong>in</strong> Germany but with<strong>in</strong>Europe.CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, there is a great variety of practicalmodels <strong>in</strong> Germany. It is necessary to br<strong>in</strong>gthese different practices closer together to createnetworks <strong>between</strong> cities with their respectiveemployment policy departments, to enable themto learn from each other, to maybe benchmarkpractical models aga<strong>in</strong>st each other <strong>and</strong> to makeimplementation of local employment policymore effective <strong>and</strong> more efficient.■ Rural employment: Resolv<strong>in</strong>g the negative impact of unemployment <strong>in</strong> EssexPaul Williams, Rural development Manager, Essex County Council (UK)The Essex Rural Partnership (ERP) was establishedby Essex County Council as a direct response tothe crisis caused by Foot <strong>and</strong> Mouth Disease. TheERP is an action orientated group. It br<strong>in</strong>gs togetheractors from different levels of governmentas well as <strong>in</strong>terest groups <strong>in</strong> order to improve theliv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g conditions of the people <strong>in</strong><strong>rural</strong> Essex.Urban White Paper <strong>and</strong> the Rural White Paper.This means that local authorities are now obligedto encourage growth <strong>in</strong> their counties. TheEssex County Council met these dem<strong>and</strong>s by sett<strong>in</strong>gup a community regeneration departmentthat focuses on three separate activities: <strong>urban</strong>regeneration, <strong>rural</strong> regeneration <strong>and</strong> social<strong>in</strong>clusion.Why did the Essex County Council get<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>rural</strong> partnerships?Essex County Council got <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>rural</strong> partnershipsas a result of new local government responsibilitiesto provide access to local services<strong>and</strong> facilities, follow<strong>in</strong>g publication of the UKFive priority <strong>areas</strong> were identified: the ThamesGateway (from London to Southend), the HavenGateway (from Harwich to Felixstowe), the M11Corridor alongside the Stanstead Airport developmentarea, the Harlow <strong>urban</strong> district <strong>and</strong> theRural Renewal Area. Rural Essex comprises all<strong>areas</strong> outside the major towns <strong>and</strong> the coastl<strong>in</strong>e,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g all estuaries <strong>and</strong> isl<strong>and</strong>s.— 13 —
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