ZBORNIK RADOVA

7. Međunarodni stručni skup, NA POSAO!Uloga pružatelja usluga u profesionalnoj rehabilitaciji i zapošljavanju osoba s invaliditetom – europska i hrvatska iskustvaEducationalprograms(regularandadulteducationprograms)arenotcompatiblewiththeinterestsand abilities of persons with disabilities, or with the labour market demandsEmployment Incentives that are offered via the Employment Service and the Fund for ProfessionalRehabilitationandEmploymentofPeoplewithDisabilitiesarenotstimulatingenoughtobeusedbyemployers to hire persons with disabilitiesLack of opportunities in which people with disabilities could demonstrate their capabilities and theirworking potential to an employerDiscrimination, i.e. unequal opportunity for employment on the open labour marketToo few sheltered workshopsIn the records of the Croatian Employment Service there was a total of 6,212 registered unemployedpersons with disabilities as at 31 March 2011; there were 6,255 persons with disabilities (2.0% of thepopulation of unemployed persons registered at CES) as at 31 December 2010. As at 31 December 2009there were 6,215 registered unemployed persons with disabilities (2.13% of the total unemployedpopulation), while on 31 December 2008 there were 5,579 registered unemployed persons with disabilities(2.36% of the total unemployed population). According to the data from 2008 until 2010, the number ofunemployed persons with disabilities in the CES records increased, but their share in total unemploymentis declining, which corresponds to a higher unemployment rate in the recent years of economic crisis.Taking into account the total number of unemployed persons with disabilities who got employed inthe period from 2005 until 2010, a positive growth trend in the employment of the target group can beestablished in the period from 2005 until 2007. During the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 there was a decline inthe number of newly employed persons with disabilities registered at the Croatian Employment Service -in 2008 1,267 of them found a job, in 2009 the total was 1,028 and in 2010 it amounted to 1,080 persons withdisabilities. This illustrates a downward trend of employment in comparison to the year 2007, when 1,423persons with disabilities from the CES records were employed. Such a decline reflects the totalemployment trend in the period from 2008 until 2010, which was also downward. It is an encouraging factthat during the year 2010, the total number of employed disabled persons registered as unemployed waseven increased when compared to 2009, reflecting the intensified efforts of counsellors of the CroatianEmployment Service and all other stakeholders in the labour market regarding the employment of thistarget groups, despite the harsh conditions in the labour market.It is also important to note that in 2010, measures of active policy implemented by the CroatianEmployment Service (co-financing and financing of education and employment) included 349 personswith disabilities, whereas a much smaller number of people with disabilities (146) used these subsidies in2009. This achievement is the result of implementing measure 7.1 of the Economic Recovery Plan of theCroatian Government, which puts the focus of labour market policy on training, education, retraining,and adoption of key competencies, particularly for unemployed and inactive categories of working-agepopulation.Projects fostering inclusion of persons with disabilities in thelabour marketWithin the Component IV of IPA program of Human Resources Development, the CroatianEmployment Service conducted the project "Fostering Effective Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities intothe Labour Market" in the period from January 2010 until March 2011. The overall aim of project was topromote social inclusion of persons with disabilities and their integration into the labour market. A study"Situation and Needs of Persons with Disabilities on the Labour Market" was created within the frameworkof project, the conclusions and recommendations of which provided guidelines to develop employmentaction plans for persons with disabilities in selected counties.119