Association for Promoting Inclusion held the final conference on the results of the IPA project “Greenhouse Vegetables Production” on March 30 th 2015 in Zagreb.
The project lasted for 20 months and was co- financed by the European Union within the IPA Component IV: Human Resources Development – Improving Labor Market Access for Disadvantaged Groups.
The project leader is the Association for Promoting Inclusion and the partners are the Centre for Inclusion and Social Services from Bjelovar and Secondary School Bartol Kašić from Grubišno Polje.
The project aims to support the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities into the labor market in Bjelovar-Bilogora County. It was realized through the program of work activities and model of sustainable vegetable production in greenhouses in Bjelovar and Grubišno Polje which was developed specifically for those individuals who are unable to engage in work activities on the open labor market.
The results of the project were presented by the project leader, mrs Nedeljka Miščević, expert agronomist, mr Nikola Malbaša, along with Ivančica Gudelj and Ivica Jalapa, persons engaged in agricultural production.
The continuous participation of 27 people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of work in agriculture through this new form of engagement in agricultural economy was highlighted as crucial project success.
Publication ‘Production of Vegetables in the Greenhouse’, published as a manual in an easily understandable form for people with learning disabilities and the other one issued as a brochure for potential employers was also presented.
The rest of the conference focused on different ways in developing social entrepreneurship and legal possibilities of engaging people with intellectual disabilities in the labor market.
Projects ‘Agritourism in Karanac’ and ‘Packing Station of Good Wishes’ in Slavonski Brod were also presented as examples of good practice of associations working in the Osijek-Baranja and Brod–Posavina County.
Representatives of different NGO’s and rehabilitation centers, as well as the representative of the Office of the Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities, the representatives of City of Zagreb and other relevant institutions attended the conference.

European Union – Investing in the future