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The Labour Department has enhanced the "Employment Programme for the Middle-aged" (EPM) and the "Work Orientation and Placement Scheme" (WOPS) from today (June 29) by increasing the financial incentives and extending the subsidy period for participating employers.
The Government has earmarked funding for the Labour Department to enhance its employment programmes, among which, $60.6 million and $11.8 million are respectively allocated for enhancing EPM and WOPS. The enhanced programmes are expected to benefit 8,000 middle-aged job seekers and 800 people with disabilities (PWDs) over the next two years.
A spokesman for the Labour Department said the enhancements aimed at encouraging more employers to offer job opportunities for the middle-aged and people with disabilities.
Under the enhanced EPM, the training allowance payable to participating employers who engaged eligible middle-aged job seekers in full-time jobs and provided them with on-the-job training would be increased from $1,500 to $2,000 per employee per month. The subsidy period for deserving cases would be extended from three months to a maximum of six months.
The financial incentives for employers participating in WOPS would be increased from half to two-thirds of the actual wages paid to the disabled employee during the work trial period, and the payment ceiling would be increased from $3,000 to $4,000 per month. If employers provide comprehensive training and support to their disabled employees, the subsidy period would be extended from three months to a maximum of six months.
Through the payment of financial incentives, EPM aims at encouraging employers to engage middle-aged job seekers who are aged 40 or above and have been unemployed for one month or more, and provide them with on-the-job training. WOPS aims at enhancing the employability and competitiveness of people with disabilities through pre-employment training and work trial placement.
Application details of these two programmes are available from the Labour Department's websites at http://www.jobs.gov.hk / http://www.jobs.gov.hk/isps, or the Employment Programme for the Middle-aged Co-ordination Office at tel. 2150 6398 / Work Orientation and Placement Scheme Office at tel. 2953 0651.
Ends/Monday, June 29, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:02
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