Understanding Social Inclusion, Employability, and Social Services
Social Exclusion: A Multifactorial Phenomenon
Social exclusion is a multi-factorial phenomenon, stemming from various shortcomings. These shortcomings can be attributed to one or more factors, including poverty, lack of physical or mental health (e.g., substance abuse), absence or limited family support, problems accessing new technologies, failure in school, and unemployment.
The Labor Market as a Process
This refers to the period before obtaining a job, whether through active job searching or training aimed at securing employment.
Occupation as an Activity
Occupation is how a person spends their time at work. This activity refers to both the workplace and training, and it encompasses social interactions. The person may be paid or unpaid. Values such as respect, friendship, and company culture are integral to the experience.
Integrating Occupational Training
Training is a factor that determines a person’s degree of employment and influences the approach to occupational intervention. Therefore, it is crucial to understand and analyze the different educational environments where we interact with people, within a more organized structure and the current educational system.
Formal Training
Formal training is educational activity taught within the formal educational system. It is intentional and systematic, facilitating the individual’s integration into society and providing a training base.
Education
Education is carried out within the organizational system. Continuing education, such as occupational training, play centers, and employment programs, falls outside the school’s direct responsibility. It is intentional and systematic.
Informal Education
Informal education is educational activity that involves the acquisition and accumulation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in an unintentional and non-systematic way.
Employability
Employability refers to the characteristics and capabilities a person possesses when seeking work.
Internal Variables Affecting Employability
These variables include age, gender, family situation, education, work experience, knowledge of the employment landscape, self-positioning in work, personal physical and mental health, and criminal history. By assessing these internal variables, we can differentiate between factors that can be addressed and those requiring specialized equipment or support (e.g., family problems, substance abuse, disabilities, illnesses).
What is Required for Employability?
From the person’s reality, conscious awareness of their situation, a positive attitude, organized job search skills, and knowledge of their professional experience are essential.
What is Employability?
Employability is the probability of a person entering the labor market. Factors influencing this include economic conditions, job offers, job demands, and demographic changes.
Social Services: A Global Perspective
Social services represent the welfare state system aimed at ensuring basic citizen needs, maintaining personal autonomy, and promoting the development of personal skills within a framework of respect for human dignity. Social services are structured on two levels:
Basic Social Services
These are the first level of the public social services system.
Specialized Social Services
These services include mental health support for drug addicts and battered women.
Objectives of Social Service Laws
The objectives include detecting basic needs, preventing and promoting social inclusion, facilitating the empowerment of people facing resource scarcity, and promoting social coexistence.