Romanian non-profit Asociația Ateliere Fără Frontiere (Workshops Without Borders - AFF), which helps vulnerable people reintegrate into the labor market, supported the employment of over 1,500 people in the past year. Recently, according to a press release from the Ministry of Labor, the NGO also received the status of a public utility association.

In Romania, public utility associations are recognized for their contributions to solving social or cultural problems, and the income obtained from their activities is directed towards fulfilling their statutory purpose.

"Ateliere Fără Frontiere offers a good practice model that should be supported and multiplied as a solution for increasing employability among the inactive population that faces multiple difficulties in hiring or maintaining a job," explained CEO Damien Thiery.

"In 15 years of activity, AFF has employed 270 people far from the labor market in its workshops, and in the last year, it supported the employment of over 1,500 people, including displaced persons from Ukraine. The granting of the public utility status is a recognition of our association's activity," he added.

The NGO has partnerships with more than 50 social service providers with interventions in disadvantaged communities to identify those in need of support, as well as with 200+ companies on the placement of people fit for work in the market and willing to hire people facing multiple vulnerabilities mainly due to social, educational, and health situations, including disabilities.

"We'd like our activity to be copied, multiplied in Romania. This organizational model to be adopted in all areas of the country where there are vulnerable people who can and must be integrated into the labor market and no longer be in social exclusion. I would like to see an organization that helps vulnerable people, with a focus on the circular and social economy, to reintegrate into the labor market in every city in Romania," Damien Thiery said.

A sociological survey carried out by AFF in 2022-2023 among 460 people from vulnerable categories found that 37% of them were unemployed/unregistered unemployed, 3% were registered unemployed, 7% were doing casual work without contracts, while 36% were in contract employment (mostly in social economy organizations and sheltered establishments), and 7% were retired, in education, and in detention.

"The people we support at Ateliere Fără Frontiere come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with very difficult financial situations, who have faced school dropout, were victims of violence, had untreated health problems, are disabled or are in treatment for substance abuse, or people who were deprived of their freedom," said Daniela Avram, manager of the social department.

AFF is a social and environmental association with economic activity established in 2008 to help integrate vulnerable people into the labor market. To this end, it has created four social insertion enterprises - educlick, remesh, logiEtic and the bio&co farm, offering personalized services of socio-professional support, psychotherapy and pedagogical support to people with challenging backgrounds (long-term unemployment, addictions, disabilities, school dropout, domestic violence, or human trafficking).

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Ateliere Fără Frontiere)