Home

Our Vision

A European society in which equal employment opportunities are a reality for people with disabilities.

We believe that people with disabilities should enjoy their legal rights to equal opportunities and non-discrimination in all aspects of their lives as all other citizens, especially in the world of work.

Workability Europe and its member organisations provide practical working opportunities to each individual with a disability, encouraging them to make the most of their abilities and supporting them in their transition to the open labour market.

News and Events

Call for minimum share for the European Social Fund

Keep the 25% minumum share for the ESF budget in the overall cohesion budget

Social Services Europe called on Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs and Members of the European Parliament to keep the minimum share of 25% for the European Social Fund  in the overall cohesion budget. The organisation submitted a letter stating that the ESF contitutes an important tool to ensure people are equipped to enter and stay in the labour market, develop human capacities through education, training and lifelong learning opportunities and address social exclusion and poverty. 

The European Commission ring-fenced 25% of the overal cohesion budget for the European Social Fund, irrespective of the region. The Council of Ministers only refer to an "adequate share" of ESF money that should be spend on human capital development. 

This marks a significant shift from the original proposal and jeopardises the original objectives of the European Social Fund.  

Workability Europe's Board Members

Marjatta Varanka, Managing Director of VATES in Finland, was elected as President of Workability Europe on 29 January 2013 at an extraordinary General Assembly in Brussels. Also elected were Leif Alm, Samhall and Nigel Hopkins, Remploy. Board members hold the following positions: 

  • Marjatta Varanka, VATES - President
  • Rafael González Millán, FUNDOSA - Vice President
  • Nigel Hopkins, FEGAPEI - Treasurer
  • Lisette Bosch, CEDRIS - Ordinary Member
  • Stef De Cock, VLAB - Ordinary Member
  • Thierry Lècques, GESAT - Ordinary Member

 

Menu

Menu

Search

Newsletter Signup

Latest publications

Workability Europe Brochure

The brochure about Workability Europe, published in September 2012, gives a brief overview of the organisation and its activities. It summarises who we are and what we do, and also describes our portfolio of services to members. 

Download accessible PDF of Workability Europe Brochure

Annual Reviews

Annual Review 2010-2011

After a year of global economic turmoil, which saw a general reduction in government spending on social affairs throughout Europe, Workability Europe managed to increase its operations.

Campaign: EY 2014 Reconciling Work and Family Life

Banner EY 2014

Family comes first, for anybody you may ask in the street. However, due to work commitments and constraints of working hours, it is not always easy to take time off work to take a disabled child to a medical appointment, to visit ageing relatives in care homes during the day, or to puck up your children from school.

Workability Europe, as part of the European Year 2014 Alliance, is trying to highlight these exact issues at European level and bring attention to the fact that creating and promoting policies that enable reconciliation of work and family life would be a win-win situation - both for individual EU citizens, as well as for the European Union as a whole. Investing in measures that enable better work-life balance has a direct positive impact on job creation, well-being, prevention of poverty and social exclusion.

Marian Harkin MEP initiated a Written Declaration asking for the designation of 2014 as the European Year for Reconciling Work and Family Life with the support of the European Year 2014 Alliance. Read more about the campaign and lobby your national MEP to sign the Written Declaration!