The Employment and Training Corporation launched a new project targeting the placement of around 200 disadvantaged and disabled people in employment with non-commercial organisations.

The ESF 3.114 Employment in the Social Economy (ESEP) is a project funded through the European Social Fund under Malta’s Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 ‘Promoting an equal and inclusive labour market.’

Through this project, funds are granted to eligible applicant organisations for the recruitment of disadvantaged people. The total fund allocated to the ESEP is €1.09 million.

The organisations that can benefit from this project are those that do not engage in an economic activity, as defined in Article 107 of the EC Treaty.

Organisations can take any form including a partnership, association, NGOs or other body of persons, whether vested with legal personality or not and are recruiting employees.

Potential employees must fall under the seven eligible client groups (www.etc.gov.mt).

Financial assistance under the ESEP for full-time employment of people working 40 hours or more are to be given grants at a fixed rate of €4,500 per annum and those working 20 hours but less than 40 hours will have the fixed rate of €2,250 paid bi-annually on the expiry of six months of employment.

Rules and conditions to be followed by applicant organisations to be eligible for the grant are listed in the ESEP application and guidelines, which can be obtained on request from the Employment in the Social Economy Unit within the ETC or from the ETC website.