Institutional job demand through social enterprises

In the framework of the transnational program “Combating Youth Unemployment and Addressing the Needs of NEETs” (SOCIALNEET) in which bodies from seven countries participate, led by “INMEKO” and the support of PESCO, a conference was held on “institutional job demand through social enterprises “.

The philosophy of this program goes beyond the usual practices in the field and introduces an innovative approach which is based on the leverage of social capital and inactive resources that stem from the collectives operating in the common area. This is pointed out as, it is futile to expect financial leverage of the market to strengthen the social economy. On the contrary, the institutional demand for service products from collective cooperative structures is a necessary condition for the viability of social enterprises.

In Greece, however, the development of the social economy in recent years has been promoted as an alternative policy in tackling unemployment, any expectations of which do not materialize. This is because in this sector there is a mismatch between supply and demand. The projected creation of a supply of social enterprises alone is not a sufficient condition for the creation of new jobs.

Thus supply in this case, according to the doctrine of neoclassical theory does not automatically create the expected demand. On the contrary, the need and condition of institutional support for the demand for products and services of social enterprises, in addition to market automation, is obvious. We see clearly that only cooperatives supported by large collective unions and collectives are viable.

When the financial leverage of the market is objectively absent, as is the case after the prolonged crisis, at least a policy of leveraging inactive resources and social capital is required, as well as synergies with the large social collectives and the Local Government. This role of leveraging institutional demand can be played by large Consumer organizations, trade unions, ecological and cultural associations. The distinctive and distinguished role of social enterprises supported by social collectives is to transform inactive material and human resources into energy of productivity and economic action.

The Ministry of Labor, which manages the case of the social economy in Greece, is far from this approach and without having a policy of demand and institutional intervention. Instead, it deliberately or unintentionally cultivates a political illusion that the unemployed can become social entrepreneurs if they simply form a social cooperative. It does not recognize the importance of demand from the public sector and TA and it is no coincidence that it has completely failed in the policy for the social economy, presenting for years now zero results.

Of course, the picture is not the same in all European countries, there are promising examples. Thus we draw experiences from the most imposing and successful examples which are the energy communities, the consumer cooperatives, the mutual insurance funds and the cooperative banks. But all this, first of all, ensures for social enterprises institutional demand for products and services as a necessary condition for their viability.

After acknowledging this truth, we must present in a specific way, in every sector where the demand for products and services can be developed through the social economy.

In the field of T.A. With the allocation of inactive resources, in areas, buildings, farms, school lands, forest areas, fixed equipment for social entrepreneurship, strong incentives can be given for the creation of new jobs.

In the field of agri-food and consumption, starring the federations of Associations, the associations of Producers-Consumers can be created networks of cooperation and distribution of products, without intermediaries but also on the basis of socially supported Georgia.

In the field of green energy with the energy communities can be used municipal buildings and schools, for energy self-sufficiency of Municipalities but also to create a living example in each Municipality to organize citizens in collaborative energy production and save significant resources for each household.

Ιn the field of cultural entertainment and cultural entrepreneurship there is also ground for economic activity without Intermediaries. Civil society organizations, environmental, cultural, consumer and humanitarian can play an important and decisive role in supporting social enterprises.

In the field of health, given the increased needs, there will be an increase in demand if public buildings and infrastructure that are inactive and do not function are provided, offering this infrastructure to respective social enterprises.

In the area of ​​immigration management, there are resources for refugee-immigrants that to date result in either ineffective centrally designed state policies that consume resources without even producing self-service in cleaning and environmental services. The decentralization of immigrants to local communities and their employment through social entrepreneurship will have a twofold benefit: income sharing but smooth creative integration.