K. Hatzidakis: 6 billion euros from the new NSRF and Recovery Fund for social policy

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs further strengthens the social protection net for millions of our fellow citizens, throwing “into the battle” and the 2.3 billion euros allocated to it from the Sectoral Operational Program Human Resources and Social Cohesion 2021-2027.

These actions are part of the largest budget program of the new NSRF (4.16 billion euros in total) which is immediately on track for implementation, after its recent approval by the European Commission.

In total, through the new NSRF and the Recovery Fund, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will utilize funds of the order of 5 billion euros for social policy actions over the next seven years.

This package is at least twice the size of all previous social policy packages through the EU. It increases even more if social actions, amounting to 1 billion euros, that will be implemented through the Regional Operational Programs are taken into account. Total 6 billion euro.

The new NSRF, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour, promotes a package of actions which focus on the promotion of active employment policies, large-scale programs for young people and social protection actions. Examples include:

 The labor market integration programs with special care for the long-term unemployed and women

 A broad “package” of actions for young people, to which a quarter of the resources of the new NSRF of the Ministry of Labor are dedicated

 The “Neighborhood Babysitters” program

 The extension of the application of the Personal Assistant program (following the pilot application with resources from the Recovery Fund)

 Distribution of food and basic material goods to the needy through the successor program of TEBA.

The actions planned by the Ministry of Labor in the new NSRF complement the corresponding actions of the “Program for the Many”, amounting to 2.6 billion. euros financed by the Recovery Fund, with an implementation horizon until 2025. The Recovery Fund, operating in addition to the NSRF, promotes a series of reforms accompanied by a corresponding package of actions and which:

 Upgrade and digitize infrastructure and systems of the Ministry of Labor and its supervised entities (e.g. Unified Information System for Monitoring the Labor Market – Ariadni, ATLAS program)

 Strengthen the protection of employees (e.g. Digital Work Card, IRIDANOS Program for Health and Safety at Work)

 Aim to upgrade the skills of the country’s human resources (e.g. 1 billion euro programs for training and certification in green and digital skills)

 Introduce modern social protection tools (e.g. Disability card, Personal Assistant)

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Kostis Hatzidakis said: “The funds of the new NSRF together with the funds of the Recovery Fund are equivalent to an amount more than double compared to the European funds managed until now by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

It is a great challenge for the Ministry, but also a great responsibility towards workers, the unemployed, the disabled and every socially weak fellow citizen. We promise to handle them quickly and efficiently.

With this great social program we will be able to reduce unemployment, strengthen skills, reconcile personal and working life. And also to meet individual needs of social groups such as people with disabilities, women, young people and those of our fellow citizens who are beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income. It is a great opportunity for a more meaningful policy and we will take advantage of it.”

The General Secretary of Employment Promotion Eleni Gioti said: “In a society that is constantly changing, in a work environment that is being modernized internationally and digitized, we want to spread a social protection net for those who need it most.

We want to respond responsibly and seriously to expectations and turn policies into quality work with tangible results. Funding for these programs is neither self-evident, nor automatic, nor easy.

Our aim is to use the resources available through the new NSRF and the Resilience and Recovery Fund in the best possible way, to contribute the most to the quality of life of people in our country.”

The file with the Ministry’s competence projects will be distributed based on the priority axes of the Sectoral Program and investment priorities of the European Social Fund as follows:

1. Employment and Labor Market (budget 1.35 billion euros)

Examples of actions:

 Labor market integration programs with an emphasis on long-term unemployed and women that will be implemented by both the Ministry of Labor and the DYPA, providing new tools and possibilities after the passing of the “Jobs Again” law.

 Neighborhood Babysitters: Baby, toddler and child care services by accredited Caregivers: The Program is already being implemented on a pilot basis by the General Secretariat of Demographic and Family Policy and Gender Equality and with the new NSRF, its expansion nationwide is planned.

 Actions for the social and economic inclusion of unemployed people from vulnerable groups, using, among other things, tools for social and affordable housing. The initiatives being worked out by the Ministry of Labor to provide cheap housing to young couples as well as vulnerable citizens will also be supported by the resources of the new NSRF.

 Extension of the opening hours of kindergartens and full-day primary schools, action of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs financed by 50% from the funds of the Ministry of Labour. The aim of the action is to facilitate the participation of parents in the labor market and the balance of professional and family life.

 Specialized employment programs for people with disabilities.

 Training actions for older workers in the context of active aging

 Interventions to promote the equal participation of both sexes in the labor market

2. Youth employment (budget 479 million euros)

Examples of actions:

 Improving access to employment and activation measures for young people, in particular through the implementation of youth guarantees

 Training programs for integration into the labor market for unemployed 18-29 year olds

 Programs to support and strengthen young entrepreneurship with an emphasis on the green, digital and blue economy

 Apprenticeship support for young people up to 29 years old (EPAL post-high school year)

 Operation of Professional Development and Career Offices (GEAS) in 50 EPAS and 30 IEK of DYPA, with the aim of connecting students with the labor market and local businesses

 Coaching Program for young entrepreneurs a) guidance and provision of consulting services and b) creation of business plan development tools

 The ALMA program which helps young people who are not in education, training or employment – with a focus on the most vulnerable – to gain work experience by traveling to other EU states

3. Food Aid and Dealing with Material Deprivation (budget 400 million euros)

 Actions to support the needy and in general those living at risk of extreme poverty (beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income) which during the period 2014-2020 were co-financed by the “Fund of European Aid to the Needy” (former TEBA). TEBA supports actions to distribute food and other basic necessities through an organized system of 600 distribution points throughout the country, while also providing social integration services. In the new NSRF, TEBA’s actions will continue under the Administrative Authority of OPECA.

 With reference to the former TEBA, it is noted that since the start of the program 1,331 distributions have been carried out and almost 66 million tons of food and 23 million tons of basic material goods have been distributed with special care – among others – for the homeless, children and the elderly (data of May 2022 ).

4. Administrative Modernization Actions (budget 71 million euros)

Interventions for the modernization of institutions and services of the labor market and social inclusion

Examples of actions:

 Upgrading, modernization and reorganization of the operation of DYPA

 Reform of the disability assessment system in Greece

 Horizontal Interventions to Combat Violence against Women

 Creation of a Gender Equality and Demographic Policy Observatory

Additional funds of 1 billion euros for Social Actions through the Regional Programs

In the area of ​​responsibility of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, additional funds of the order of 1 billion are allocated. euros from actions that have been included in the approved Regional Operational Programs of the new NSRF 2021-2027. Among other things, funding has been provided for:

 Community Centers and Basic Goods Supply Structures

 Assisted Living Homes for people with disabilities and Day Care Centers

 Women’s Structures

 Homeless Structures

Among other things, emblematic social protection actions such as:

 The continuation of covering the expenses of the Nursery Schools for three more years

 The creation of Semi-Autonomous Living Homes for teenagers who now live in institutions

 The support of vulnerable families with the provision of supportive services by social workers and psychologists