| Co-operation with employers
The Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS) pays particular
attention to the work with employers who are an important business partner
and user of the ESS’s services. At the ESS, we strive to improve the quality of our
co-operation with employers in order to achieve the following aims: to intervene in the
labour market in an efficient way, to ensure a close and long-term co-operation with
employers and to improve the existing forms of co-operation.
The co-operation with employers is one of
the basic tasks of the ESS.
According to our experience so far, we can
say that the employers expect individual treatment, kind, professional and quick services
from the ESS. Being aware of that, we try to establish contacts with employers in
various ways (telephone discussions, visits at employers, visits of employers at the
employment service, organisation of discussions, contacts through the use of electronic
media, participation in fairs, etc.). The method of visits at employers has become very
important. By visiting them, we get to know the employers in their own environment, their
working processes, jobs, development programmes and employment possibilities. For this
purpose, local employment offices prepare target-oriented plans of visits. The number of
visits has been increasing year by year. By frequent visits at employers we want to
achieve such business relations which are based on long-term contacts with a high level of
mutual trust and responsiveness. Apart from that, we particularly want to achieve the
following:
- efficient coverage of vacancies
- better and long-term employment of the unemployed (with the
emphasis on the difficult-to-employ persons)
- the exchange of important information.
To achieve the objectives in this area, the
Employment Service started to upgrade the organisation of work with employers. A
local employment office is defined as a basic organisation unit where direct work with
employers is carried out. In 2001, the Ljubljana local office set up a special unit for
employers, which encompasses all services intended for them. A special department for the
work with employers was established in the Maribor Regional office in 2000. In smaller
local offices, the heads of the offices are in charge of the work with employers,
therefore their workload regarding the unemployed is reduced.
At the Employment service we are aware of
the fact that the quality and type of services can be improved with more efficient
organisation of work, an increased use of information technology and with more intensive
marketing of services.
With the assistance of its professional
staff and in co-operation with educational institutions, the ESS tries to improve the
employers' general knowledge and information about the Employment service. For this
purpose, leaflets and brochures have been prepared which provide key information and
guidelines regarding the ESS's tasks and competencies. The ESS also has radio programmes
for employers and often organises open telephone lines where they answer employers'
questions.
The ESS also co-operates with external
institutions, for example: the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of
Crafts, labour funds, local business promotion centres, etc. Among others, the purpose of
this co-operation is also the planning of measures to achieve the planned targets.
The ESS also organises special
introductions of occupations at the Vocational Information and Counselling Centres and at
local offices. These introductions represent a form of vocational guidance for pupils and
secondary students to help them to decide regarding their vocational career in the
transitional period from primary to secondary school, as well as for students who decide
about their studies. They are prepared also for the unemployed who decide to re-qualify or
wish to upgrade their level of qualifications. The main purpose of these introductions is
to ensure the type of workers the employers need. The employers can provide the best
information about which skills they require by describing the jobs in detail. Visits to
work places/companies for small groups of participants are organised as well. These
activities are conducted within the cluster of activities called “About occupations
– in a different way”, which is organised by the ESS in collaboration with
employers.
A lot of work at the ESS has been put into the designing
of our Internet site (www.ess.gov.si). It
consists of comprehensive information and other services intended for employers and the
unemployed, as well as for the broad public. However, the advisers at local and regional
offices still represent the most efficient direct contact for many employers.
The latest novelty on the ESS's Internet
site is called the “e-Stock exchange of Zois scholarship recipients”
(scholarships for gifted students) which presents the supply and demand for the future
experts – Zois scholarship recipients. It is intended to create links between interested
students and companies regarding employment purposes, practical part of education of
students in companies, research, graduate or post-graduate (Master) thesis work.
Computer-supported information system
plays an important role in the improvement of the quality of co-operation with employers.
For this purpose we created, for internal use only, the application “Catalogue of
business subjects”. It enables access to data on employers, information about
to-date co-operation and also the monitoring of this co-operation.
The ESS tries to provide such conditions for employers
which would enable the reception of employers separate from job-seekers. All local
employment offices have special rooms or parts in their offices where employers can wait
for the adviser and during this time read information leaflets, brochures and other
materials.
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