On the 1^st of August the Lithuanian Labour Exchange launches a new project “Increase of Youth Employment”. The project is funded from the EU Structural Support means.

The aim of the project is to encourage employment of young persons by creating possibilities to acquire working skills and anchor on the labour market.

It is anticipated that 6000 of young unemployed persons will participate in the project, including 2 500 youngsters, who will participate in the measure for supporting acquisition of working skills, where they will acquire practical skills at real jobs and enhance their opportunities to remain for a permanent job. 3 500 youngsters under 29 will participate in the measure of supported employment.

The duration of the project is 13 months (from 1 August this year until 1 September next year); value – LTL 20 million. The allocated means of the project will be used for wage subsidies to employers, who placed young persons under 29 starting their working career for the first time according to the acquired qualification or persons, who were not working for a long time.

At the beginning of this year Lithuanian Labour Exchange closed the implementation of the project “Be active on the labour market” financed from the EU Social Fund. The implementation of the project lasted for one and a half year and involved over 6,1 thousand participants under 29 years of age, who acquired the necessary working skills directly at work places and anchored on the labour market. Even 83% of young persons successfully managed to find jobs after the participation in the activities of the project “Be active on the labour market”.

Support for acquiring working skills is organised for unemployed persons in the working age, who are registered with the labour exchange, and who have acquired qualification, but haven’t got the necessary working skills. For example, when an individual starts his working career for the first time according to the acquired qualification. Also, subsidies may be granted for long-term unemployed persons and individuals after occupational rehabilitation. Subsidies may be also granted to employees in the working age, who were given notice on discharge, if they are registered with the labour exchange as job-seekers. Support for acquiring working skills is granted to such persons for up to 6 months.

For the placement of a young person under 29 for the period of 4 months on the average the employer may receive subsidy amounting to 50% of the calculated wage, and for the placement of a disabled person – the amount of the subsidy may reach from 60% to 70%, subject to the working capacity level of the person in placement.