Aim

The aim of the Scheme for the Training of Long-term Unemployed Persons in Enterprises/Organisations (hereinafter "the Scheme") is to provide opportunities for long-term unemployed to enter/re-enter employment while acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills related to the needs of a specific job. The Scheme provides incentives for enterprises/organisations to employ and train the long-term unemployed—registered with the Public Employment Service (PES) for more than six consecutive months—by designing a personalised four-month training programme.

Basic Provisions

• The employment needs of enterprises/organisations are addressed through the recruitment and training of long-term unemployed persons.
• Four-month training programmes are implemented.
• An employer must submit an application for participation in the Scheme (hereinafter referred to as "application") to obtain approval before the training programme of the long-term unemployed starts.
• The application may be submitted at any time during the year via the HRDA’s “Ermis” digital portal, and no later than two months from the date the long-term unemployed is hired.
• If the unemployed has completed a higher education programme of at least three years and holds a higher education diploma, he/she must be at least 30 years old.
• If the long-term unemployed has relevant work experience within the past four years for the job position in question, such experience must not exceed eight months. Participation in a work experience programme subsidised by the HRDA, which did not involve employment by the employer implementing the training programme, is not considered as relevant work experience.
• A subsidy is provided to cover the training costs borne by the employer, in accordance with the Scheme’s Grant Policy. The payment of the grant is governed by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2831 of 13 December 2023, concerning the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid.

Benefits for Enterprises/Organisations

• Improvement in organisational structure and management through the employment of individuals holding appropriate academic backgrounds or qualifications.

• Rational distribution of tasks and responsibilities among enterprise/organisation personnel.

• Effective fulfillment of enterprise/organisation employment needs with specialized personnel and efficient filling of job vacancies.

• Reduction in employment and training costs until the long-term unemployed becomes fully productive, through the HRDA subsidy for the duration of participation in the Scheme.

• Systematic training and specialization of the long-term unemployed, in close cooperation with and under the guidance of the HRDA.

Benefits for Long-term Unemployed Persons

• Support for their integration or reintegration into employment and their professional rehabilitation.

• Familiarization with the work environment and the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge, skills, and work experience.

• Utilisation of the acquired knowledge and experience for a new professional career and rapid advancement.

Financial Coverage

A subsidy is paid to the employer, amounting to €1,398 per month, against the costs incurred by the employer for the training of the unemployed. 

Minimum Salary of the Long-term Unemployed Person

The HRDA sets the minimum gross salary to be paid by the employer to the unemployed during the training period and the first two months of employment at €1,088 per month. For professions where a higher minimum wage is set, the employer is obliged to pay the wage stipulated either by ministerial decree or collective agreement during both the training period and the subsequent two-month employment period.

Further Information

For more information, interested parties may contact the Public Services Office at telephone number 22390300, via email at [email protected], or consult the Scheme's Policy and Procedure Guide available below.