The wide-ranging international activity of the ESS in 2005 can again be divided into two main groups: the first group relates to European Union projects in which the ESS is involved, while the second group covers cooperation with public employment services and similar institutions in other countries.

The ESS was again active in 2005 in Phare pre-accession aid projects and projects of the community Leonardo da Vinci programme. The ESS was also involved in a project of the CARDS programme, intended as EU foreign aid to the countries of the western Balkans. Slovenia is involved in this programme as the country providing aid in non-member states.

With regard to the ongoing activities of the ESS in Phare projects, we should mention the “Maximising potential human resources in border regions” programme. The ESS implemented the “Path to work” project, the purpose of which is to provide training in the area of self-awareness and motivation of unemployed people to solve their unemployment problem, to provide assistance in the development of knowledge, abilities and skills to find employment and participate in the labour market. The project began in autumn 2005, and involves RO Murska Sobota on the Slovenian side and the Zala regional unit on the Hungarian side.

Full EU membership also provided Slovenia with the opportunity to draw on funding from the Structural Funds, including the ESF. The ESS prepared for the implementation of tasks with the help of the Phare Twinning project, entitled “Institutional strengthening of the Employment Service of Slovenia as the end recipient”. It is intended for comprehensive preparation of the ESS for the tasks of an end recipient of ESF funds, particularly monitoring and supporting the operational implementation of ESF. The project ended in May 2005, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs and the French partner institutions: RACINE - the national service for technical aid at the French Ministry of Labour and ANPE - the French employment service.

Within Phare projects, the ESS was also active in 2005 in the project “Improving computer literacy of the unemployed”. The objective of the project is to enable large numbers of unemployed people to acquire basic and additional training in the use of computer and communications technology. Training is completed with the acquisition of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).

The ESS also participated in 2005 in the Community Initiative EQUAL, financed from the ESF and intended for the development and testing of new methods in the fight against discrimination and inequality in the labour market.

At the start of 2005, the European Commission tendered funds for the modernisation of operations of public employment services from EU member states. The ESS applied with the project “New forms of ESS service provision”. The project was selected, with the Lithuanian employment service chosen as the partner organisation for the project. The purpose of the project is to increase and facilitate access by customers to ESS services, thereby improving the quality of work with service users, with the end goal of increasing employment of unemployed people.

In 2005 the ESS generally strengthened cooperation internationally. The year was characterised by numerous activities dictated by Slovenia's EU membership. Participation by ESS staff strengthened in various international links for the exchange of information in individual professional areas. ESS staff training continued for work in the EURES network. Active cooperation was maintained with public employment services and related institutions in European countries.

Participation by the ESS in meetings of directors of public employment services from EU countries represented an important activity in 2005. Closer professional cooperation in various fields continued with the Austrian, Italian, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Croatian employment services. Equally mention must be made of the excellent cooperation between ESS regional offices with border regional units of public employment services in neighbouring countries.

In cooperation with the National Resource Centre for Vocational Guidance (NRCVG), the ESS organised an international conference at Bled with the title “National forums for career orientation”.

Also worth mentioning is ESS participation in links among public employment services of the countries of the western Balkans. Under the Agreement on cooperation of national employment services of the Western Balkans, ESS staff attended conferences and several working meetings in Zagreb and Sarajevo. The ESS also received visits from colleagues from the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the purpose of transfers of know-how in the area of the operation of information systems and analysts.

The ESS continued to play an active role in the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES). There were numerous meetings and gatherings in the European region in 2005, and as part of standing cooperation of public services from central Europe. Activities also continued for the world congress of WAPES, which will be held in 2006.

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