Activation Policy
‘Activation’ is the term applied broadly to ‘welfare to work’ policy. It has been in place in Ireland since 1998 when the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) process, when Social Welfare officers started referring people registered as unemployed to FAS for training and up skilling with a view to entering or re-entering employment. However, since 2006 the term ‘activation’ has taken on a broader policy meaning and it is used to refer to policies that are being developed and implemented to support access to employment, education and training for all those distant from the labour market and receiving social welfare payment including lone parents, people with disabilities, Travellers and older people.
Activation policies are being implemented throughout the European Union but those policies take different forms in each Member State.
Activation should always aim to achieve greater social inclusion, rather than promoting the notion of a job at any cost. Successful activation policies should address the barriers that exist for people seeking to re-enter the labour market, while also putting in place the necessary support systems (e.g. childcare) to facilitate the transition back to the workplace. Issues related to adequate income and access to appropriate services for everyone – whether employed or unemployed – should be a core philosophy of activation policy.
Documents
- To get a better understanding of Activation read the EAPN Ireland Employment Working Group Briefing on Developing a Positive approach to Activation which explains what it is, identifies many of the issues and outlines criteria for Positive Activation.
- Report from the EAPN Ireland Employment Working Group Workshop on Activation held on 11th January 2007.
- EAPN (Europe) Position paper on Activation - Can activation schemes work for social inclusion? EAPN criteria for ‘good’ activation
