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History of Central Uusimaa Partnership
Unemployment and especially long-term unemployment with their consequences have become a constantly growing problem within Western Europe. The depression and decrease in investment caused by the collapse of Russian trade and the banking crisis lead to unemployment reaching 22 percent in December 1993.
On the initiative of the European Union, a number of projects have been launched to activate local initiative and commitment of local parties on at all levels to improve employment. 26 partnership projects based on the Territorial Employment Pacts initiative were launched in Finland in the spring of 1997. The aim of the projects is to reduce long-term unemployment and exclusion. The projects focus on finding new innovative solutions to employ people, develop entrepreneurship and activate local parties to co-operatively combat unemployment. Central Uusimaa Partnership is one of these projects and it was founded by the cities of Järvenpää and Kerava and the Municipality of Tuusula. In addition to the original members the Municipality of Nurmijärvi joined in 2003 and the Municipality of Mäntsälä in 2007.
Objectives
The main objective of the project is to combat unemployment, especially long-term unemployment, and prevent social problems associated with unemployment. The Partnership Association aims to promote co-operation among the parties responsible for unemployment and problems caused by it in Järvenpää, Kerava, Mäntsälä, Nurmijärvi and Tuusula.
Means
The juridical background of the association consists of the municipalities of the area. The executive body of the association is a board of directors including eight members, two from each municipality. The chairman of the board is Ossian Svensson and the project manager Erja Lindberg of the Partnership acts as the secretary of the association.
The most important role in the activities of the association is played by steering groups which and support the actions of the board and the projects, establish networks between communities involved, convey information on changes needed, and evaluate the outcomes of the activities. Single activities are supported by groups consisting of experts in the field in question. The project has also gained credibility through the commitment of influential private persons.
The projects started by the Partnership are Third Base (Kolmospesä), Tuusula Environment 2000, Culture Mill (Kulttuurimylly), Job Market (Työtori) and Partnership+. The Partnership does not act as a producer of services, but as an agent and liaison developing new models of co-operation for the area. The work is mainly funded by the European Social Fund, e Ministry of Labour, Uusimaa Regional Council and municipalities of the area.
Based on a proposal made by the Ministry of Labour, Central Uusimaa Partnership was chosen to participate in the Project “Study on Local Partnerships in Finland” which is a Leed-program of OECD. The strengths and development needs of the participating projects were evaluated in the project. An international seminar with participants from 17 countries was arranged at the end of the project by the Ministry of Labour, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and OECD.
International Co-operation
Since the very beginning the Partnership has co-operated with Southside Partnership from Ireland. The co-operation has included exchange of experts on matters such as employment policies, development of local communities and problems concerning long-term unemployment. Other areas of co-operation have been project development and quality.
The Partnership is a member of REIIES (Réseau Européen d’Initiatives d’Integration Economique et Sociale). The main objective of this social and economic network is to work for the social and economic integration of discriminated groups. The objective is also to draw together resources that are scattered around Europe to co-operatively produce new tools and methods for international activities. The aim is to promote the exchange of experiences and discussion and to inform the members about matters concerning the prevention of exclusion and unemployment.
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