Youth unemployment dropped by more than a third this year, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Bartolo said the number of youth unemployed in Malta last month was 580, the third lowest rate in Europe.

EU funds Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg said the government had secured €12 million of EU funds to help more youth gain access to employment. 

He said the government had identified target groups which it would be focusing on, including the disadvantaged, severely disadvantaged and the disabled. At least 1,700 people were expected to benefit.

Employment and Training Corporation head Clyde Caruana said a number of new schemes would be introduced .

A new programme would help train employees, while another programme ewould give employees up to €1,000 to encourage them to get training.

A long term unemployment guarantee, similar to the youth guarantee, was also in the pipeline, Mr Caruana said.

The guarantee would target those who have been registering for work for at least one year and would assist them in finding employment.   

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