Front-line work in activation and targeting of re-qualification programmes: lessons from the Czech Republic

Abstract

ABSTRACT A paradigmatic policy change towards activation, together with currently very low rates of unemployment, made the most disadvantaged groups of unemployed people the focus of active labour market policy in the Czech Republic. The aim of including people with multiple and/or severe disadvantages in the labour market represents a new challenge for front-line workers at employment offices, as they are expected to provide their hard-to-place clients with individualised, tailored services, including well-targeted active labour market policy measures. In this paper, we analyse how successful front-line workers are in targeting re-qualification programmes at the most disadvantaged groups and which factors shape front-line work. Our findings are based on recent empirical (quantitative as well as qualitative) research in Czech active labour market policy in which we took part and on in-depth interviews on the topic that we carried out with front-line employment-office employees. We demonstrate failures in personalised front-line activation work and in targeting re-qualification programmes at disadvantaged groups and examine the underlying factors (e.g. governance reforms in activation, insufficient personnel resources, emphasis on coercion and standardisation of front-line work).