WHO WE ARE

APEA- Portuguese Association of Supported Employment

APEA works since 2003, representing the SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT movement in Portugal, following the former organisation called APISE (Portuguese Association for Social Inclusion and Employment – 1992-2003).

Mission:

Generalization of Supported Employment model, increasing the access to open labour market of people in disadvantaged situations

The APEA aims, working together with employers, people from target groups, social partners and trade unions improve community integrated strategies that will facilitate professional / work integration, which must combine flexibility and job safety and stability.

Objectives:

Increase the access to open labour market of people in disadvantaged situation, through individual support planning, developed, by an empowerment approach, according to the individual abilities, interests and needs;

Create opportunities for capacity building and for qualifications that will facilitate job access, exploring Information and Communication Technology, using as a resource existing/regular Vocational Training Centres and Schools as well as on job training;

Promote target group’s empowerment, trough their involvement, participation and influence on the definition, implementation and evaluation of the project, creating opportunities for the development and exercise of joint statements on their right’s defence;

Promote social networks, between public and private organizations as a fundamental strategy towards mainstreaming of more efficient procedures of social and professional inclusion of the target groups;

Work out with the employers community strategies that will facilitate professional inclusion, which must combine flexibility, job safety and stability, approach that needs also social partners and trade unions contributions;

Guarantee a framework to promote and support job keeping, establishing a coordinated work with other support systems, so that access to social resources, housing and transports;

Develop organizations and staff’s skills on supported employment towards the improvement of quality and of efficiency of services delivered;

Promote evaluation and dissemination of results and generalization of supported employment;

Promote diversity in the workplace, relating CSR and supported employment

Increase involvement of entrepreneurship associations in the partnership promoting CSR and diversity in the workplace.

The sensibilization and campaigning, against discrimination.