Funding approved for new employment scheme

A total of €6.7 million was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday for the incentive scheme to boost employment. The money will be used to provide for the placement of 800 young people aged 25 to 29 who are currently unemployed and are not enrolled in training and education.

For this the Council of Ministers has authorised the labour minister to make any amendments necessary for the purposes of securing co-financing from the European Social Fund.

Under the plan, grants will be given to employers for hiring the young people, covering 70 per cent of the employees’ salary costs with a ceiling of €8,400.

The grant is for the first ten months of employment and the employer is obliged to pay the salary for another two months without additional funding.

Applications will be accepted at specific time periods which will be decided by the administrative body.

Should the budgeted amount be depleted prior to the announced conclusion date, the discontinuation of the scheme will be announced in the daily press.

In the same session, the Cabinet approved the employment of an additional 12 seasonal lifeguards who will work on an hourly basis for the purpose of improving the safety of bathers.

50 per cent of the cost for this will be paid by the government to the municipalities.

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