Czech agency finds jobs for 40 Romanies in Ostrava region

The Roma recruitment agency has found jobs for some 40 Romanies since 2006 within the three-year Romcentrum project funded by the EU, the project’s manager Lubomir Kuznik, from the Association of North Moravian Romanies, told CTK

The agency that is seated in Karvina, a town near Ostrava, now registers some 250 Romany job seekers, mostly men. “We seek jobs on the Internet, but we have also contacted regional businesspeople,” Kuznik said. He said employers often consider Romany job seekers a potential problem even before meeting them.

However, he admitted that many Romanies are to blame, too. Some of them are not interested in their work and they go on sick leave after three months. Jan Rychly, head of the Karvina labour office, said he appreciated the agency’s effort. He said its work was difficult since it dealt with people who lack any qualification and were not accustomed to go to work regularly.

Rychly said it was important that people from the Romany community worked in the agency.

Within the Romcentrum project, field workers visited Romany localities in the Ostrava region, known for mining and heavy industry, and advised people on how to behave in a new job and how to deal with civil servants, Kuznik said. He said cooperation with two schools with a number of Romany pupils was launched.

Kuznik said the EU would not fund the project anymore, but some of the activities, like the recruitment agency and cooperation with the schools, would continue.