Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future Aid – Scheme: Employment Aid Programme Priority Axis 3 – Promoting an equal and inclusive labour market INFORMATION MEETING EMPLOYMENT AID PROGRAMME FOR GOZO 10 th November 2013 Tigrija Palazz, Victoria Gozo

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future Over €1.9 million have been allocated for this initiative. Over 350 disadvantaged persons and persons with disability may benefit. Applications opened on the 28 th October 2013 and will close on the 6 th December Eligibility criteria of participants has been widened in line with the Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/ General Block Exemption Regulation. Level of assistance is 50% of the basic wage and employer’s national insurance for 52 weeks. In case of persons with disability the assistance is 75% of the basic wage for 52 weeks. A retention period of 4 months on the employment of a person with disability is applicable. EAP for Gozo

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future EAP for Gozo The grant agreement period (52 weeks) will commence on the 2 nd of January 2014 till 31 st of December Date of Engagement must be after the acknowledgement date and before/on the 2 nd January Subsidy is confirmed only upon signing of the Grant Agreement. Recruitment which is initiated after the 2 nd January 2014 cannot be considered eligible for funding.

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future 1.Any person who has not been in regular paid employment for the previous 6 months and does not have a job. 2.Any person who wishes to enter or to re-enter working life and who has been absent both from work and from education for at least two years. 3.Any person who lives as a single adult with one or more dependants. 4.Any person who has not attained an upper secondary educational or vocational qualification (ISCED 3). 5.Any person older than 50 years. 6.Any long-term, registered unemployed person, i.e. any person who has been unemployed for twelve of the previous sixteen months, or six of the previous eight months in the case of persons under Any person who is a registered disabled person and who has a recognized, serious, physical, mental or psychological impairment. Eligible Participants

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future Eligible participants are those whose Identity Card shows a Gozo address. Participants will be eligible as long as the EAP applicant undertaking is different from the undertakings that previously employed the prospective participant within the previous 6 months. A participant under Target Groups 3, 4, 5 and 7 can still be eligible to participate in the EAP if he/she is in employment. It should be noted that one of the principles of the European Social Funds is to enhance the quality of life of the participants. This principle must be reflected when participants become eligible through the following scenarios: - To move to another full-time job. - To increase the weekly working hours to full-time employment (40 hours). If the applicant Undertaking is the same one as that of the part-time job, only the difference of the number of hours increased will be subsidized. Eligible Participants

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future The Undertaking should be a Gozo based business operation. Undertakings which are mainly based in Malta but have an operational base in Gozo are also eligible. The Employment must be based in Gozo. Employment Aid Programme shall apply to all sectors of the economy with the exception of those listed in Article 1 (3) of Regulation EC No. 800/2008. Recruitment represents a net increase - the recruitment of the participant must represent a net increase in the Annual Labour Unit (ALU) in the undertaking concerned, compared with the average over the previous 12 months from application received date. Where the recruitment does not represent a net increase in Annual Labour Unit in the undertaking concerned, the post or posts must not have fallen vacant as a result of redundancy. The applicant is being requested to fill in an Undertaking Declaration detailing ALL relevant partnerships and/or links with other enterprises. Eligible Undertakings

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future EAP UnitSlide 7 Undertaking Map

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future Annual Labour Unit Check

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future The Applicant enterprise will be eligible as long as prospective participant was not employed with any enterprise forming part of the Undertaking in the previous 6 months. A Grant Agreement will be signed on the basis of the information provided in the Undertaking Declaration. The Corporation will conduct the necessary checks at a later stage to confirm the composition of the Undertaking, and reserves the right to revoke the grant in cases where variations detected result in the Undertaking and/or the participant becoming ineligible. The information provided in the Undertaking Declaration is crucial as it determines the initial eligibility or otherwise of the EAP application. Eligibility Checks

Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Aid Schemes part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing: EU Funds, National Funds, and Private Funds Investing in your future THANK YOU Olivia Farrugia EAP Project Leader Department Manager (EU Funded Schemes)