Territorial Employment Pacts (TEPs)

are contractual regional partnerships to integrate labour market and employment policies with other policy areas. Their objective is to contribute to improving the labour market situation in the individual regions. Cooperation based on an equal footing is to boost the efficacy and efficiency of financing, to improve support to specific target groups, to safeguard and create jobs, to ensure the provision of funding to the region and to safeguard the environment and living conditions on a sustainable basis.

In the framework of TEPs, the Public Employment Service, the Provincial Governments, the Federal Social Welfare Offices, the social partners and other collaborators jointly adopt programmes for promoting employment and implement them based on a coordinated Pact budget. The structure and tasks of the partnership agreements are geared to the needs of the regions.

With a view to implementing and further developing the Austrian TEPs, funding is made available by the European Social Fund, Operational Programme “Employment” for Austria 2007-2013, Priority 5, and by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection to cover the expenditure for the operational structures of the Pact, in particular the TEP Coordination Units. They support, for example, cooperation among the partners of the Pacts and the development of working programmes and projects.

The Pacts are also granted funds under ESF Priority 3, Operational Programme “Employment” for Austria, to develop and test innovative measures for improving the integration of those furthest away from the labour market and the collaboration of the institutions involved in the region. Co-financing of the Priority 3b measures is ensured through the Pacts.

An Austria-wide Coordination Unit – Kooo – provides ongoing support to the Austrian TEPs in performing their varied tasks and ensures know-how transfer both at national and international level.

 

Preface

TEPs – successful and proven labour market policy partnerships

Thanks to the wide range of measures of the Austrian Territorial Employment Pacts, the objectives of the European Social Fund (ESF) may be implemented successfully in the Structural Fund period 2007-2013. In the framework of the Operational Programme “Employment” for Austria, the TEPs engage in manifold regional labour market policy activities, with support being granted to them under Priority 5. Under Priority 3b, they develop targeted measures for employment integration of those furthest away from the labour market. Serving as a model of good governance in Austria in both fields of action, the TEPs are the key to improving the labour market situation in the regions.

The success of the TEPs is, inter alia, based on their readiness to further develop the partnership on a continuous basis and to learn from one another in an atmosphere of openness. Experience and findings are, for example, exchanged within the “Priority 3b Learning Cycle“. A framework for this process at international level is the “Community of Practice – Partnerships in the ESF“, where the Austrian approach is discussed with other Member States.

It is of vital importance to intensify the integration of those furthest away from the labour market into the employment system, especially in times of economic and labour market policy crises. Therefore, the focus in 2009 is on planning additional innovative programmes for this group in the framework of ESF Priority 3b.

Last but not least, I would like to thank all stakeholder for their commitment. I wish you a lot of success in achieving your goals. ESF funding will make a decisive contribution to improving the labour market in your regions.

Rudolf Hundstorfer

Federal Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Conusmer Protection (June 2009)