Perspektiiv — Regional support programme for women
Helping women in Ida-Virumaa whose mother tongue is not Estonian step-by-step back into work — flexibly and with personal support.
Töölabor is for Ida-Viru employers: we help companies create low-threshold entry-level jobs and fill them with people supported by the programme.
Programme overview
Ida-Virumaa has persistently high unemployment. The programme targets economically inactive non-Estonian-speaking women aged 40–64 — the group with the lowest activity and employment rate in Estonia.
Labour-force participation and employment rate
As nationality-based differences in Estonia's labour market have persisted, non-Estonian women in particular show a lower labour-force participation and employment rate. People of other nationalities in Estonia are concentrated mainly in Harju County and Ida-Virumaa.
New challenges in Ida-Virumaa
The programme's activities are directed at Ida-Virumaa because it is a region with persistently high unemployment, where — in addition — national and international climate goals and the transition to a carbon-neutral economy are driving significant changes that bring new challenges to the regional labour market.
Active regional inclusion
The activation activities for women in Ida-Virumaa who have moved away from the labour market aim to increase their labour-market activity, which improves their coping, increases social well-being and cohesion. Delivering these activities in a targeted way in Ida-Virumaa helps these women stay actively involved in the region's changes and gives them a greater opportunity to contribute their abilities and skills on the open labour market.
Sillaloojad
In the first direction of the programme, we recruit and train 10 Sillaloojad — people who understand both employers' expectations and the cultural and linguistic context of the target group. After a 2.5-month training (May–August 2026), 6 Sillaloojad are hired on fixed-term contracts to actively support women in Ida-Virumaa who have moved away from the labour market and help them return to work step by step.
Töölabor
Töölabor for employers — a development programme for Ida-Virumaa enterprises to create new jobs.
Created for Ida-Virumaa employers, Töölabor is a 5-module development programme that helps companies analyse existing work roles, redistribute tasks and create flexible forms of work in order to open up new opportunities for women in the region, including those with caring responsibilities or limited Estonian-language skills.
Up to 10 company HR managers can take part in the programme, supported by both group and individual mentoring.
Programme objective
Each company creates at least 5 new or redesigned jobs that are simplified, shared or flexibly organised.
After the programme, a job fair brings companies and job-seekers together, where employers present their newly designed jobs and recruit for them (date to be confirmed).
Programme volume: 40 academic hours
Programme period and location: 25.09.–30.11.2026, Jõhvi Concert Hall
Training is delivered in Estonian.
Töölabor is designed for Ida-Virumaa employers who want to create low-threshold jobs — simplified, shared or flexibly organised roles that people with limited Estonian-language skills or a long break from work can step into.
Apply to join the Töölabor programmeWho it's for
- Russian and Estonian at very good or good level
- Secondary or vocational education
- Strong communication and empathy
- Living in Ida-Virumaa (preferred: Jõhvi, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Narva)
- Digital literacy and willingness to learn new tools
- Readiness to complete the 2.5-month Sillalooja (bridge-builder) training
Curriculum
Career counselling fundamentals
Principles of career counselling and how to apply them in the local context.
Local labour market & employers
Understanding employer needs in Ida-Virumaa and the local labour market.
Digital skills & job-search tools
Practical use of digital tools for job search and remote work.
Culturally sensitive communication
Cultural sensitivity and language mediation (Estonian / English / Russian).
Motivational interviewing & empathy
Empathic communication and motivational interviewing methods.
Mentoring foundations
Mentoring methodology applied to job-seekers.
Project management basics
Basic project management for community work.
Partners & funders
Contacts
Project funding
The aim of project 2021-2027.4.02.25-0110 “Programme for the labour-market inclusion of women living in Ida-Virumaa whose mother tongue is not Estonian” is to implement an inclusion programme and carry out the activities set out in it, in order to increase the target groups’ activity in the labour market and to support entering employment and staying in employment. The inclusion programme’s activities are aimed primarily at target group members aged 40–64.
Project partner: Visionest Institute OÜ
Project duration: 13.01.2026–31.12.2028
Project funding: the budget of the project’s eligible activities is €799,365.65, of which the European Social Fund support is €559,555.95 (70%) and national co-financing is €239,809.70 (30%).
Project results: by the end of the project, the target groups’ inclusion in the labour market has increased, as have their awareness, readiness and skills that support entering employment and remaining in employment.
Co-funded by the European Union and the Estonian state