The Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy

Client: The Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy (www.expak.at) was financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Federal Ministry of Economy and Labour of the Republic auf Austria.

Agenda: The Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy is a programme which promotes cross-border cooperation in the field of labour market and employment policy. The information, discussions and networking opportunities facilitated by this programme are aimed at actors, organisations and authorities in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

The principal objectives of the Expert Academy are as follows:

• Combating unemployment in the entire border region by improving and intensifying communication and cooperation between the actors in the fields of labour market policy, economy, social partnership and civil society,
• Conception, discussion and implementation of labour market and regional policy programmes and measures which have been newly conceived or have proven successful in the European Union,
• Improvement and intensification of the communication and cooperation between the actors in the fields of politics, administration, economy, social partnership and civil society in the entire region,
• Development of demand-oriented programmes and measures,
• Long-term establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy as a think tank for the labour market and regional policy in the entire region.

The activities of the Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy focus on the following fields of action:

• Optimisation of labour market programmes and instruments,
• Filling qualification related employment gaps,
• Development of the potential of the third sector in the field of employment policy,
• Conception and implementation of regional as well as cross-border employment agreements,
• Equal opportunities for women and men – gender mainstreaming,
• Planning and scientific advice of model projects in the field of labour market policy for the ethnic group of the Roma,
• Measures to cope with the flexibilisation processes on the labour markets,
• Consulting actors in the field of labour market policy concerning the use of the European Social Fund,
• Cooperation in the conception and establishment of further education structures,
• Evaluation and monitoring of programmes in the field of labour market policy.

Forms of cooperation:

• Seminars, workshops and information events,
• Consulting, monitoring and scientific advice,
• Conferences,
• Conception and execution of studies,
• Networking measures.

Seminars (2007):

• “Development of innovative models for the promotion of training and employment for the Roma“, 21-22/11/2007
• “Effective measures for the management of EU funded projects“, 18-19/10/2007
• “Changes and tendencies on the labour market related to the EU enlargements of 2004 and 2007“, 5-6/6/2007

Conferences (selection):

• “Employment of youths in the Central European Region: new opportunities – new trajectories”: Szombathely, 15-16/11/2007
• “Vocational qualification under inspection“: Szombathely, 9-11/5/2007
• “Elderly people on the labour market“, 10-12/5/2006
• “Re-integration of women to the labour market – combining employment and family“: Szombathely, 11-13/5/2005

Studies/publications:

• “The third sector as an actor in labour market policy – status quo and challenges from a cross-regional perspective“
• “Company strategies and cross-border regional integration“
• “Equality?! The situation of women in the Austro-Hungarian border region“
• “The Roma centre in the ‚Bogdán János’ Roma ethnic minority community centre in Nagykanizsa“
• “EXPAK – The Austrian-Czech Experts Academy“

On www.expak.at you will find a detailed overview of the activities and events of the Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy. Event agendas and documentation as well as publications are provided for download.

Additionally, we release an electronic newsletter on a regular basis with information on current events of the Austro-Hungarian Expert Academy. If you wish to be included in the Expak newsletter distribution list, please send an e-mail to eglseer@lrsocialresearch.at.

Related Projects: Austrian-Czech Experts Academy