The Employment and Training Corporation, in collaboration with the Gozo Business Chamber, has organised a seminar for employers and entrepreneurs in Gozo to explain the various schemes and services from which jobseekers and organisations in Gozo can benefit.

The ETC's employment schemes continue to be an effective means of facilitating the re-integration of unemployed persons. During the last financial year, ETC offered a number of different schemes to both employers seeking potential employees as well as unemployed job seekers seeking work experience and/or employment in the labour market.

The Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, addressed those present and commended them for their interest in finding out more about these schemes. The Minister expressed her appreciation on the positive results achieved through the collaboration of the Ministry for Gozo and the Gozo Business Chamber, the establishment of which was aimed at addressing the particular challenges faced by Gozitan entrepreneurs due to Gozo's double insularity. Minister Debono urged those present to avail themselves of the opportunity of the schemes explained to them for the benefit of both their enterprise as well as the Gozitan workers.

During the past year 26 Gozitan employers employed 89 workers under the Gozo Employment Aid Scheme. This makes them eligible for a subsidy of €420,000 under this particular scheme. Through other schemes being proposed between 2008 and 2013 Gozitan employers and employees will have the opportunity to benefit from schemes launched by ETC, partially financed under the Structural Funds Programme for Malta of the European Social Fund, amounting to €13,000,000. This apart from other schemes launched on a national basis through budget measures.

A number of employment schemes are available. The Gozo Employment Aid Scheme has been quite successful. Ninety five Gozitans have found employment by means of this scheme which provides wage subsidies to employers for recruiting persons from disadvantaged categories. Most of those persons who benefited from this scheme were young job seekers or persons made redundant.

This year ETC plans to launch the Employment Aid Programme which will be run on similar lines as that of the Gozo Employment Aid Scheme. The Programme will be accessible by both employers in Malta and those in Gozo that recruit persons from disadvantaged categories. Employers will benefit from a wage subsidy while jobseekers while find employment.

In addition to these major employment schemes, ETC will continue to run work exposure schemes like the Job Experience Scheme and the Work Start Scheme in Gozo. These schemes provide an opportunity for work exposure to young and adult job seekers facing difficulties in finding employment due to lack of work experience. Around two-thirds of those who undertook work exposure with private companies were actually retained in employment.

The Active Youth Scheme has also proven to be popular with Gozitans. The scheme is designed to help young persons, aged between 16 and 24, to discover and develop their hidden talents while contributing to the community by working with non-governmental, religious and cultural organisations. This scheme targets young persons who have been unemployed for more than six months.

The Corporation also offers a whole variety of training programmes to different customers with different social and educational backgrounds. In the last financial year, 804 Gozitans were trained through a number of training programmes that ETC offers in Gozo. Courses in subjects such as office skills, IT related subjects, hospitality and care were organized.

Employers in Gozo that employ and train new employees or existing ones are eligible for training grants. They can already apply to ETC to have part of their training costs reimbursed. The eligible costs are those that are directly related to the training being undertaken, which training can either be off-site or on-the-job. This year, ETC is planning to launch a Training Aid Framework that will extend the financial assistance already being provided to a larger number of enterprises.

The Corporation is also trying to promote traineeships whereby jobseekers obtain on-the-job skills while being trained at establishments. Acquiring such skills will make participants more employable and improve their chances of finding employment of their choice.

Gozitan employers who would like to engage persons on these schemes or training programmes, and jobseekers who want to improve their employability chances, are kindly asked to contact ETC staff at its Gozo office on 2156 1513 or at gozo.etc@gov.mt or marcel.bonnici@gov.mt. Employers and jobseekers may also visit the Victoria Job Centre in St. Francis Square, Victoria.