people often fail to secure a job and provide for themselves, which results in social exclusion and a low quality of life.

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

Supported Employment technology, through which the applicant (beneficiary) acquires the necessary professional skills, job-seeking and onboarding experience, while the company builds an inclusive team and develops a socially-oriented corporate culture with the benefit for the business. We work within the framework of the "environmental approach", achieving social impact by satisfying the business interests.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

Rabota-i is the winner of the "St. Petersburg's Best Entrepreneur" contest in the Admiralteysky District (2021).

Melon Fashion Group and "It Will Work Out!"/ Rabota-i are finalists of the Russian national inclusive practices contest according to the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (2022).

Melon Fashion Group and Rabota-i are the winners of the "Labor Forum’s HR brand" rating of the VI International Labor Forum in the "Corporate Social Responsibility" nomination. The winning project was Supported Employment (2022).

The case "Supported Employment of Young People with Disabilities and Orphanage and Correctional School Graduates", implemented by Melon Fashion Group and Rabota-i, ranked 2nd at the annual Russian Sustainable Development Awards "Change Management. Visionaries" in the nomination "Society. Business" (2021).

Melon Fashion Group and Rabota-i won the first place in the 2021 Ranking of Social and Environmental Practices according to the Delovoy Peterburg newspaper.

Melon Fashion Group won the "HR Brand 2020" award in the special category "Equal Opportunities", with its Supported Employment project created in partnership with Rabota-i.

Winner of the "Act without Borders" grant competition by "Our Future" Foundation for Regional Social Programs (2017).

Winner of the creative social projects contest (Gazprom Neft’s social investment program, Home Towns, 2016).

Ilya Smetanin, director of the Rabota-i center, is the winner of the 10th "Boss of the Year" Independent Business Award (2016).

Ilya Smetanin, Director of the Rabota-i center, won the "Expert of the Year 2016" award (according to the "Expert — North-West" business magazine) in the nomination "Volunteering and Charity Expert".

FUNDS RAISED IN 2021

• Renewed donation agreements with three major donors from 2014–2018.

• A new grant of 2.9 million rubles received from the Presidential Grants Fund.

• "It Will Work Out" project implementation continued in cooperation with Sberbank's charitable foundation "Contribution to the Future" (new stage of financing).

• A job placement contract was signed with BAT (British American Tobacco) to fill vacancies under the disabled quota.

• Eight new outstaffing deals with small businesses were signed.

• A new fundraising partner has been engaged — the Naked Heart Foundation.

• An agreement was signed with the Public Employment Service of St. Petersburg to hold a "Professional Route" fair and funding was raised.

• Re-negotiated job placement contracts to fill vacancies under the disabled quota with three major companies (partners from 2019–2020).

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

• We conducted a "Business and Social Organizations" forum, which brought together commercial companies, public and nonprofit social organizations in a single platform.

• We held a "Professional Route" exhibition and fair, which was attended by more than 300 young people with low start-up opportunities.

• We have launched a new career counseling service for candidates with disabilities who have past work experience.

• We have expanded the number of small business hires by 100 % through cooperation with large businesses under job placement model (filling vacancies under the disabled quota).

• We have strengthened the fundraising and sales components of the project.

• We produced more than 200 information materials on the topic of inclusive employment and innovations in this field, including presentations and coverage at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the International Labor Forum, the ESG Forum.

DIRECT RESULTS FOR 2021

87 new employment cases were added in 2021, the highest figure since 2019; the remaining candidates employed continued receiving support from 2020. As a result, by the end of 2021,687 candidates received their first employment experience, with the center's support.

SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2021

• A total of 535 young people received employment support.

• 143 applicants remained in employment for extended periods of time.

• Candidates were hired to 66 vacancies at 49 companies.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

• Companies benefit from receiving extra staff and developing inclusive hiring.

• Young people participating in the project benefit from paid employment.

• The model of employment through job placement and outstaffing to small businesses is an example of the sharing economy.

• In general, the project results in a significant positive change in the lives of its participants, by helping them find a place in the open labor market and acquiring tools for economic independence.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Financial sustainability is achieved by combining revenue from the LLC (revenue generating activities) and charitable donations via the Charity Fund. The income generated by the LLC comes from sale of services (employment in the staff of companies, providing personnel (outstaffing), job placement for companies to meet the disabled quota and ensure legal compliance.

Примечания

1

Принадлежат Meta, признана экстремистской организацией, запрещена в РФ.

2

Is part of Meta Platforms, an organization that was declared extremist and banned in Russia.

3

Чезаре Ломброзо (1835–1909) — итальянский психиатр, преподаватель, родоначальник антропологического направления в криминологии и уголовном праве, основной мыслью которого стала идея о прирождённом преступнике.

4

Modus vivendi — в переводе с латыни «образ жизни», «способ существования».

5

Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909) was an Italian psychiatrist, teacher, and founder of the anthropological trend in criminology and criminal law, whose main idea was that of a natural-born criminal.

6

Modus vivendi — «way of life», «mode of existence» (Latin).