Innovative Employment Opportunities for Young People Receiving Minimum Income Benefits in Vienna. Accompanying Evaluation of the Measure "Back to the Future – Beschäftigung" (Summary)

Since November 2016 "Back to the Future – Beschäftigung" is offering 18- to 24-year-olds in Vienna business-related employment and supports them in finding further jobs. The measure is jointly financed by the Labour Market Service Vienna (AMS), the City of Vienna and the ESF. It is implemented within the framework of two differently designed projects. The initially planned innovative elements were implemented to varying degrees. Although put in effect under great time pressure most of the operational objectives were quickly met. The measure proved to be less accessible and less effective to women than to men. Within two years after entering the project overall employment of the participants was significantly higher than would have been the case without participation. Thanks to ESF co-financing the measure did not involve any net additional costs for the AMS and the City of Vienna in a two-year period. This was accompanied by a huge shift in the use of funds from passive transfers to active integration.