NEW ETC SCHEME LAUNCHED BY MINISTER LAWRENCE GONZI

A new scheme which will certainly be welcomed by communities including Local Councils, voluntary organisations and the worst hit unemployed persons, was launched today by the Employment Training Corporation which is putting more energies into a variety of pro-active programmes.

The novel Community Work Scheme, launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and Social Policy Minister Dr L. Gonzi at a press conference in Valletta, is being principally introduced to improve the employability of those who have been registering for employment for over a year. Long term unemployed persons who are aged 40 are eligible to participate in the scheme. They will retain their priority on the unemployment register and their right for training referral and interview submissions.

Speaking during the press launch the Deputy Prime Minister called this scheme a herald of an active labour market policy, which seeks to reactivate dormant labour skills whilst providing a sound basis for linking welfare to work. Minister Gonzi said that the long-term unemployed present a challenge to every administration and government, so much so, that the 2001 Employment Guidelines of the European Community, emphasise the need to restore employability to the Long Term Unemployed. The Scheme is also aimed at reducing the Welfare Dependency Cycle, successive studies have shown that LTUs could lose their attachment to the labour market and enter lifelong dependency on social benefits with ancillary housing and social difficulties. "Through this scheme, we are reaching out and assisting the long-term unemployed to break the vicious cycle of joblessness, attain self-confidence, acquire new skills and become active and productive members of out society." Dr. Gonzi said.

But the scheme is also aimed to help voluntary groups and non-profit making organisations to carry out beneficial work to the community.

Mr. Mario Falzon, ETC's Senior Manager, Employment Services Section, who is responsible for the running of the scheme explained how the scheme works. A sponsoring organisation wishing to participate in this scheme is to submit a project proposal to the Chairman of a Managing Committee. The proposal is then examined. Where accepted the ETC will submit a list of potential candidates from the unemployment register. Projects of political or commercial nature will not be eligible.

Up to ten participants from among those registering for employment may be assigned to each project. Sponsoring organisations will provide an average of 32 hours of work per week, while the remaining hours will be taken up by training offered by the ETC. The maximum duration of each participant's attachment to a project is 52 weeks.

The ETC will pay a wage subsidy of Lm25 a week per participant while the sponsoring organisation will supplement this subsidy to minimum wage. The management company will administer the payment of participant's national insurance contributions.

The sponsoring organisation is bound by a set of rules ranging from health and safety working conditions and completion of approved project which may be infrastructural or a service.

The ETC-provided training for participants include IT orientation, Core skills, trade training, setting up cooperatives and industry orientation visits. Requests for specific training will be considered.

Outlook Co-Op was chosen as the management company after an invitation for a declaration of interest, followed by an elimination process. A set of rules to ensure optimum management of the scheme have already been drawn up. This will ensure that all is done to enable all parties reach their objectives be it finding a job in the case of the unemployed; completing a project as planned by local councils and voluntary organisations.

ETC chairman Dr Robert Tufigno introduced the press conference which was also addressed by ETC Senior Manager (Employment Services) Mr Mario Falzon and Mr Tonio Fenech, mayor of the Birkirkara Local Council, the first sponsoring organisation. ETC CEO Mr John P. Camilleri attended the conference.

*An LTU is a registrant who has been on ETC's unemployment books for at least one year. The longest LTU is 10 years.