Czech Republic: Non-Profit Employment Agency RUBIKON

RUBIKON is a non-profit employment agency that focuses on increasing the employability of people with criminal histories, providing job placement, and working with employers to create an inclusive labour market. 

RUBIKON connects the work of the non-profit sector, the state, and the commercial sector and coordinate the cooperation. The key actors in the field and valued partners are the prison service, social probation officers, probation and mediation services, NGOs, employers, state employees, and many other experts. 

The project’s key activities work towards holistically preparing the clients for their release from prison and providing subsequent support after the release. Each year they work in about 20-25 cooperating prisons (in 2023 we worked in 23 prisons). The main activities consist of:

• A. Counselling
• B. Preparation for negotiations with the employer and self-presentation training including mock interviews
• C. Arranging a job placement and support in the subsequent adaptation

The ECPA Jury awards the Czech project ‘Non-Profit Employment Agency RUBIKON’, first place. They deemed the focus of the project comprehensive as well as an important aspect of reintegration. Also the fact that a non-profit is taking the lead, creates a different type of cooperation that still involves a variety of partners. The Jury, however, stated that the project could become even more holistic by incorporating additional focus areas, such as the provision of housing.