A Pilot Case Management Intervention for Labor Market Insertion of Women Living in Vulnerable Socioeconomic Conditions in Concepción Chile

Personal: Physical, dental and

mental health, Competencies,

Clothing,Substance abuse

Household:Unstable living conditions,Care of older people and

children,Violence

Geographic and Economic:

Transport costs,Unequal and unaligned

training,Food security

Barriers to Labor Market Insertion for Women

Required competencies

Discrimination

Harassment

PROBLEM PLAN DESIRED SITUATION

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT

BEHAVIOR OF OTHER ACTORS (EX.: PRIVATE

EMPLOYERS)

MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OF CASE MANAGEMENT

AGENT

PROJECT DESIGN: CONSIDERATION OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM

Niche oportunities in Concepción Chile

1. Economic analysis of the territory to determine potential occupational niches2. Evaluation of social and labor profile of each woman (barriers, training, experience, competencies)3. Determination of applicable social safety net programs for each woman4. Development of personalized career development plan5. Subscription of commitment with each woman6. Development of basic job-search skills7. Training8. Derivation to social safety network9. Labor intermediation with potential employers10. Accompany women in job search

Description Case Management Intervention

Evaluation of Case Management Model Using Experimental Design

Hypothesis: Additional participation of women beneficiaries of the government programs Better Work (direct employment) and Women Heads of Households (employability) in a case management model generates or has a positive impact on 3 indicators

1. Elaboration of a strategy for labor insertion2. Economic autonomy3. Competencies

Experimental design

Work program, Ministry of Labor

Head of household program, National Service for Women

Case management

50 50

Control 50 50

Evaluation Indicators

Elaboration of a strategy for labor insertion Economic autonomy Competencies•Clear definition of a future oriented goal•Definition of adequate means and resources for achieving the goal

•Rate of employment•Autonomous income•Quality of autonomous employment (contracts, social security, sufficiency)•Job satisfaction post-intervention

•Presence of diversified job search activities and number of types of actions•Opportunities offered•Amount of selectivity or specialization sought• Level of human capital•Level of social capital

Case Management Agent: Recognized NGO Located in the Same Territory

3 Multidisciplinary Teams of Professionals Work On: • social and labor barriers• gaps in basic and labor

competencies• gaps in job-search competencies• relations with potential employers

Status of Implementation:

Intermediation with potential employers

To date:100 personalized career development plans signed by women70 successfully completed training29 processes of intermediation with potential employers, 47 women6 women contracted by firms

Lessons learned: Quality of the Career Development Plans

Construction and validation of the plans with the women is valuable in providing to all an explicit, panoramic vision of the intervention and desired results.

However, every profile and plan had to be revisited

– information quickly obsolete; more specific information on barriers needed; women lacked confidence in the agent and intermediation at first

Individual plans include derivation to applicable social safety net programs of the government, depending on the barriers detected in the initial social profile.

Best Practices

• Adequate training in content and format for these women• Sustained, proactive accompaniment in the job search• Identification of other stakeholders that regulate access to job opportunities

• Regular meetings of multidisciplinary team to ensure adequate balance in the intervention amongst the different disciplines of the professionals

• Information system for rapid identification of weaknesses in process of intermediation

Emerging Challenges

High resistance towards applying for jobs - foregoing the stable income of government work programs

Gaining confidence of employers to increase participation and eliminate prejudices. Without a mechanism for reducing resistance towards foregoing program related income, repeated desertion of intermediation could undermine confidence of potential employers

Actual occupational niches in the territory are rapidly requiring higher levels of competencies than these women possess

Impact on National Policy

National Service for Training and Employment (SENCE) in cooperation with Chilecalifica evaluating incorporation of dimensions of

•Evaluation in territories for niche opportunities•Identifying barriers•Personalized career development plan