INTERPREPA

This project was designed for people living in the streets of Paris and its suburbs, people who homeless or at risk of homelessness, or people living in temporary accommodation. Most of them face multiple difficulties in accessing the labour market, often due to long term unemployment, lack of experience or qualifications, or racial or social discrimination.

The project aim was to go further than the usual reintegration or support methods for unemployed people, which were not effective or are out of reach for a large proportion of beneficiaries. The idea was to test routes into direct employment, working directly with companies.

Specific project activities included:

Workshops on personal development, using ICT to assess the personal motivations and potential of target individuals and to understand their views/perceptions of the labour market. Workshops will also be used to tackle personal disadvantage such as lack of self-confidence, behaviour difficulties, and to identify specific needs.
Employment working groups linked with employers, to ensure there is a better reciprocal knowledge between companies and associations, such as better understanding of employer's obligations and requirements and social team work comprehension. Visits and exchanges between associations and employers were organised.
Actions developed in partnership with companies, which aimed to give a real opportunity for unemployed individuals to find long-term employment.

Organisations involved in delivering the project:

The Association des Cités du Secours Catholique (ACSC), created in 1990 by Caritas France, is a non profit making organization within the social and care sector. The organization is composed of 14 structures, such as emergency and temporary shelters or specific centres working with disadvantaged people and health issues, providing support for men, women, or families on social, medical, housing and employment issues.

The Emmaus Association is the oldest of the associations spawned by the Emmaus movement, started 50 years ago by Abbé Pierre. Our association works to combat all aspects of poverty and exclusion. Over the years the organisation has developed innovative responses to a wide variety of situations (daytime centres, emergency shelters, literacy training etc).

In the heart of Paris, The FIT, international centre for working women, is a non profit making organisation. Its mission is the sustainable insertion of 100 young women (18/25 years) through housing assistance, employment and training support, access to health, rights and culture promotion. The FIT follows the principles of the rights and freedom public frame of the hosted beneficiary people. Either the women are hosted in its rehabilitation centre or its shelter for young people.

The Association des Œuvres de la Mie de pain has been involved in caring for those in a precarious situation in Paris, and more particularly the most destitute among them. In order to provide urgent assistance and to address their social reintegration La Mie de Pain offers welcome services, emergency accommodation, housing, social support, assistance with socio-professional integration, moral and material assistance to all who find themselves in a position of insecurity, exclusion or marginalisation.