Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai has announced that his government will initiate a program to employ qualified Roma graduates in public administration.
On September 19, Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai announced that his government will initiate a program to employ qualified Roma graduates in public administration. Speaking at the academic year opening ceremony of the Romaversitas Foundation, Bajnai said that in order for the country to progress from "the recently arrested Hungarian Ku Klux Klan" to "a Hungarian Obama" there is a need for a much stronger Roma elite capable of helping with Roma inclusion.
The program announced by Bajnai will help place 200 Roma graduates in jobs within different levels of public administration. Beginning in October 2009, the program will aim to broaden and strengthen the pool of Roma leaders. It is part of a series of initiatives designed to further Roma inclusion.
In the interest of removing barriers faced by qualified Roma, the government has developed a complex program that offers professional and financial assistance to help place Roma with degrees into positions in central and regional government. Participants in the program will receive the help needed to fulfill the strict requirements for employment in public administration.
The government is financing the program with European Union funds within the framework of the State Reform Operative Program. The program budget is 100 million forints, which covers, among other costs, the preparation of participants for competitive examinations, examination fees, and travel, lodging and expenses related to the exams.
The Roma employees' first year of pay will be financed by the Operative Program's "Employment of Roma Graduates in Public Administration" project, and the bodies that hire participants will be obligated to employ them for an additional year.
For more information in Hungarian, see http://www.kormanyszovivo.hu/news/show/news_2380?lang=hu.