Description
Within the framework of the ESF+ 2021-2027 Programme of the Autonomous Province of Trento, the following have been identified as operations of strategic importance, pursuant to Article 2 (5) CPR
- the Service vouchers for family-work reconciliation financed under the Employment Priority - SO c) with a total indicative budget of €23 million;
- Family-work reconciliation service vouchers for low-income families or families in a particularly fragile situation to prevent social exclusion financed under the Social Inclusion priority - SO k) with a total indicative budget of €19 million.
The Service Voucherswhich had already been activated in the previous ESF programmes, has in fact taken on considerable importance for the Trentino population, as witnessed by the high number of recipients who make use of it each year and by the good results of the evaluations carried out. As illustrated above, the instrument is aimed at promoting the participation of women in the MdL and favouring the reconciliation of work and family commitments in order to support the search for and maintenance of employment.
Trentino, in fact, has one of the highest female participation rates in the LM in Italy, which, however, is characterised by a significant gap compared to men and a high percentage of women employed with forms of part-time work and fixed-term contracts, and only a minority share of the Trentino business base is managed by women. This is compounded by the demographic trends of an ageing population associated with low birth rates, which make this provision take on a particular strategic value.
It is also intended to ensure specific support for low-income families or families in particularly fragile conditions by guaranteeing dedicated access to service vouchers for families in the most fragile conditions on the territory, in order to reduce inequalities and prevent the risk of social exclusion of these families.
The strategic importance of Service Vouchers within the PR is also testified by the significant financial investment dedicated to them, amounting in total to about a quarter of the PR's total resources, with a programming schedule that is normally annual for the entire duration of the programme (2022-2029).
Acknowledgements
In 2019, the Service Vouchers of the Autonomous Province of Trento were included in the European Commission's publication Work-life balance for all, which selected the 20 best interventions, at European level, that promote work-life balance with an innovative approach.
