GozoNews.Com

In June of 2007 the Employment and Training Corporation together with Malta Enterprise launched a scheme for companies in Gozo which recruit unemployed persons with different difficulties. This scheme offers a subsidy of half the wage and half the National Insurance given by the employer for a period of 52 weeks. This subsidy is given to employers who keep their employees during the previous year and throughout the 52 weeks of the scheme. Apart from this every company was eligible after increasing 5 persons from the 1st of January 2007.

As was announced in the budget for 2008: “The scheme for employment assistance in Gozo, Gozo Employment Aid Scheme, was launched this year with the aim of inciting job creation in Gozo by financing a substantial part of the expenses of employers who recruit unemployed persons. The scheme was re-designed and the requirement of recruiting of a minimum of five new workers was removed.”

This modification was introduced in October 2007, just after the budget announcement for 2008. Eight companies in Gozo, who between employ 51 persons, benefited from the scheme - among these were 30 females and 21 males. These companies will benefit from a subsidy of €226, 087. There are also a number of companies who are applying to employ another 50 persons in Gozo while others are showing an interest.

This will help to increase the economy and to help the unemployed in Gozo.

In the near future, through the Structural Funds of the European Social Fund, the Corporation will launch a similar scheme, which throughout the next seven years will offer another €12million in subsidy for employers.