site.bta2016 Employment Action Plan to Provide Jobs to 21,400 People

2016 Employment Action Plan to Provide Jobs to 21,400 People

Sofia, January 20 (BTA) - The Council of Ministers adopted the 2016 National Employment Action Plan, the Cabinet's Press Service reported on Wednesday. The plan will be financed with money from an approved 73 million leva package for active labour market policies. It will provide jobs to over 21,400 unemployed people and occupational training to another 11,000.

A new encouragement measure in the plan is the introduction of dual learning (apprenticeship combined with education) for jobless people who have no occupational skills. It will be implemented by providing funding to employers for every job position that offers learning through work.

For the first time, the plan makes it possible to outsource services for the unemployed. It will offer "assisted employment" funding to licensed intermediaries helping unemployed people who have particularly great difficulties in finding a job because they have serious disabilities or other problems, or belong to the highest-risk groups. The money will be given to the intermediary companies which have helped these people find a non-subsidized job by assisting them with services, consultation, training and improving their employability. The employment period must be at least 12 months. The measure will assist 2,000 people.

Another new measure will encourage employers to give jobs to 1,400 people from vulnerable groups. These are people who have been registered as unemployed for at least six months, people aged 24 and younger, persons with primary or lower education, and people aged 50 and over. Half of their pay and the social and health insurance contributions owed by their employers will be subsidized.

The regional employment programmes of Bulgaria's 28 administrative regions will provide jobs to 2,200 unemployed people in 2016. Using central government funding, the Beautiful Bulgaria Project will give jobs to 550 people registered at job centres, and occupational training to 200 people.

The earnings of subsidized employment beneficiaries will take account of the level of the minimum wage, which is 420 leva for full-time workers. The pay of young people under the Career Start-Up Programme will be increased to 500 leva from 430 leva. Pay rises are also planned for Roma mediators, psychologists and unemployed people covered by other national programmes.