At the District Office Work in Świdnik near Lublin, queues started forming after the recruitment was announced conclusions for funding to start a business under the project “Professional activation of unemployed people in Świdnica district”. The problem is that those willing to do so started to show up last Friday (August 2nd), while the program started on Monday (5th August). Those interested had to wait at the intermediary for three nights – writes the portal lublin112.pl.
The unemployed waited for three days at the employment office. They had sleeping bags, thermoses and blankets.
The EU funds under the said program are only enough for 19 people, and there are many more willing to participate. The rule is “first come, first served”. Therefore, people who want to participate in the program camp out for several days in front of the office work.
– Everyone is guarding their place so that no one gets ahead of them. (…) People in the queue create improvised camps – deckchairs, blankets, sleeping bags, thermoses with hot tea. They talk, share food, keep track of the order – Ms. Katarzyna told the portal. This is not the first time such a situation has occurred in Świdnik. The unemployed waited in the same way at the employment agency in March, when the weather conditions were much worse than now, we read.
The employment office wanted to make it possible for everyone to participate in the program. The director promises changes
Director of the District Labour Office in Świdnik Włodzimierz Radek says that, as a rule, unemployed people can submit documents via the Electronic Public Services of the Employment Service and the Electronic Platform of Public Administration Services. However, in the case of co-financing, a number of documents must be submitted, and as Radek explains, not all those willing have the appropriate digital skills. According to research by the Labour Office, as many as 68% of people under 30 have no digital skills or have them at a low level.
Włodzimierz Radek did not specify, however, whether this applies to the entire country or only to the Świdnik area, and what year the data is for. According to NASK data “in 2021, 43% of people aged 16-74 had at least basic digital skills (EU: 54%), and 21% had above-basic digital skills (EU: 26%)”.
Radek claims that many people had to seek help from their loved ones, and sometimes pay external companies to fill out the application. That is why it was decided to conduct the recruitment in the traditional form. However, he added that the situation of waiting several days in front of the office should not occur, so solutions are to be introduced to streamline the recruitment process so that the situation does not repeat itself.