The Capacity to Avoid Incapacity
Nordic conference, Hotel Nordica, Reykjavik, Iceland 9th-10th of November 2009
The Capacity to Avoid Incapacity
Hilton Hotel Nordica Reykjavík, 9th-10th of November 2009
The Nordic conference “The Capacity to Avoid Incapacity” was held in Reykjavik 9th-10th of November 2009 by the Icelandic government and authorities, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers during Iceland’s presidency in 2009.
Invitation letter –(click here)
Program – (click here)
Programbook – (click here)
Rapport – (click here)
Day one (November 9th)
The Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security in Iceland, Árni Páll Árnason, made a short welcoming speech. He talked about the importance of work. He said that there is a risk that the unemployment of young people will increase in the future but there are also possibilities to be found in the crisis. He believes that there should be a place for everyone in the labour market and that everyone should be able to participate according to his or her will. (audio)
Mrs Sigríður Ásdís Snævarr, former ambassador of the Icelandic Foreign Service, was the conference moderator. (audio)
Labour market inclusion in the Nordic countries during the current crisis.
Bjørn Einar Halvorsen, special adviser, Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, says that the unemployment rate has increased drastically. The governments of the Nordic countries have responded to the effects of the crisis in the labour market on international and national level. The Nordic Council of Ministers has started a new project. The time frame is 2009-2013. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Disability in a High-Work Society: The Case of Iceland.
Stefán Ólafsson, professor in sociology at the University of Iceland; Statistics show that people receiving disability allowance (disability pensioners) have not grown in number in Iceland for the last few years. The rate of disability pensioners is not as high in Iceland as in most other western countries. People receiving disability allowance in Iceland are very active in the labour market. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Active inclusion of the labour market – barriers and opportunities.
María Björk Óskarsdóttir, owner and director of the company Nýttu kraftinn, Gylfi Arnbjörnsson, director of ASÍ, the Confederation of Labour in Iceland, Vilhjálmur Egilsson, director of the Confederation of Icelandic Employers, and Gissur Pétursson, director of the Directorate of Labour in Iceland. (slides) (audio)
Day two (November 10th)
Introduction by moderator Sigríður Snævarr (intro-audio)
Tackling the Jobs Crisis: An OECD Perspective.
Paul Swaim, senior economist and co-editor of the OECD Employment Outlook 2009. The unemployment rate has increased from 5,6% in 2007 to 8,6% in August 2009. It will increase for some time before it starts decreasing again. Swaim says that social problems will increase as well but he thinks that it is possible to save 3,2 to 5,5 million working places in 19 countries 2010 with the intervention of governments in each country. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Assessment of work ability
Sören Brage, Ph.D. Director for the Norwegian Labour and Welfare organization, NAV, in Oslo, Norway, says that the assessment of work ability becomes more and more important. The individual gets help to keep a job or find a new one. NAV has developed an instrument as a means to assist the unemployed but co-operation is needed from the clients in order to get a positive result. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Realising potential: Active inclusion as a means to integrate young people in the labour market.
Dorota Tomalak, leading policy officer on the issue of active inclusion and employment of the European Social Network, says that active inclusion is an important way to fight the unemployment of young people. The unemployment rate among the young people is very high in Europe, sometimes close to 40%. Tomalak explains that you have to solve the underlying problems of young people and help them to become active in the society before you can find an employment for them. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Best practices presentations.
Getting people back to work – Norwegian reforms and challenges.
Thorgeir Hernes, director at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare organization, NAV. Norway has been making structural reforms on the welfare system in connection to the labour market to make everything more simple, more effective and thus fighting the long-term unemployment of people. The changes have not been finalised but the results so far have been positive. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Evaluating work skills using the working ability method.
Irene Juliussen, owner and director of Socialfaglig Undervisning og Konsultation i Danmark, presented the Danish method that concentrates on helping individuals that have a threatened or impaired working capacity to find new possibilities and solutions for work. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Innovative approaches to unemployment of young people in Finland.
Erik Häggman, Senior Officer, State Provincal Office of Western Finland, explains that the Ministry of education in Finland uses three main instruments to empower young people. The ministry organizes workshops to activate young people and train their social skills, organizes work to reach out to young unemployed people and organizes multiprofessional co-operation. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Motivation-participation and opportunities – the emphasis of vocational rehabilitation in the Icelandic labour market.
Vigdís Jónsdóttir, director at Virk, Vocational Rehabilitation Fund, told the conference that the Vocational Rehabilitation Fund was established in 2008. The goal was to reduce the probability that employees lose their jobs because of incapacity, sickness or health problems. The aim is to intervene early and prevent problems from occuring. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Vocational rehabilitation of young people with disabilities.
Åse Larsson, co-ordinator at The Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen). The “Arbetsförmedlingen” offers occupational rehabilitation supporting individuals and helping them to find and keep a job. Larsson says that the rehabilitation is especially aimed at young people. (slides) (recording) (audio)
Workshops
A The crucial co-operation between different parties – How can professionals and systems cross borders, work successfully together on behalf of individuals in need?
Moderator: Soffía Gísladóttir, Director of the NE Regional office of the Directorate of Labour, Sveinbjörg Pálsdóttir, Public Management Consultant at InDevelop Iceland. The co-operation between occupational social workers and other experts is important. They have to understand each other and co-operate in a smooth way so that their clients can reach their goals. The experts must respect each other’s role. They must be willing to stand on the side ready to intervene and assist if necessary. (slides)
B Long-term unemployment and measures to prevent it.
Moderators: Ingi Rúnar Eðvarðsson, professor in Management at University of Akureyri, and Arnar Þór Jóhannesson, consultant at the Directorate of Labour in Iceland.
Long-term unemployment fluctuates according to the unemployment and the economic situation. The unemployed in Iceland can be put into two groups; people with high education and immigrants. People with good education form social network faster and tend to establish companies but the immigrants need more support. The best method to minimize unemployment is to offer work and practice within companies. (slides)
C Young (18-24) job seekers – the importance of a purpose in society.
Moderators: Héðinn Unnsteinsson, Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Health, and Runólfur Ágústsson, Chairman of the Board, Directorate of Labour.
The group discussed the negative development among young people in the labour market in Iceland. The unemployment among young people is increasing fast. Unnsteinsson said that Icelandic authorities are trying to use “soft power”, that is trying to get young people to want what the authorities want them to want. (slides)
D Inclusion of the labour market – how can we be more effective?
Moderators: Sigrún Sigurðardóttir, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant, and Ása Dóra Konráðsdóttir, Senior Consultant at Virk – Vocational Rehabilitation Fund.
Research shows that voluntary work can lead to other activities in the society. It is very important to give the right service to the right people at the right time. Flexibility in service is extremely important. (slides)
Presentation from workshops