Almost 16 000 Brno residents are enrolled with the Labor Office as job-seekers, not quite half of whom are grappling with long-term unemployment. Change for the better is meant to be introduced by new projects run by nonprofit organizations.

The Brno City Council has voted to support social inclusion projects. This might bring more than CZK 350 million [EUR 13 million] from the EU funds to address social problems.

As many as 50 "training" jobs in administration, janitorial or maintenance services could give the chance of a new start to as many as 200 long-term unemployed persons. Counseling about job-seeking and retention will be given to an additional 400 people.

The projects should improve the accessibility and quality of the social services offered in Brno. "All of the projects are designed so clients can deal with solving their own problems by themselves. If the aid of an institution will be necessary, it should be effective and fast so that the effect will be long-term and clients will not have to keep relying on local authorities. All is being created on the principle of a safety net to keep people from falling to the very bottom of society and aiding them with getting on their own feet again," said Martin Freund, a Brno City assembly member focused on social inclusion about the basic idea of the projects.

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http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-govt-agency-for-social-inclusion-says-training-apartments-and-jobs-will-help-second-largest-city-2