Grants to private companies or private sector employers engaged in economic activity are being promoted by the government to recruit 4,000 young unemployed people.

These are full-time employment positions and the total duration of the programme is set at six months.

Conditions for the recruitment of 4,000 young unemployed

A prerequisite is that the companies have joined and completed one of the Programs:

• "Entry into the labour market cheque for unemployed young people up to 29 years old" or
• "Entry into the labor market for unemployed young people up to 29 years old in the tourism industry".

Budget - Grant amount

The maximum total cost will total €10,200,000. It is set at €8,000,000 for 2014 and €2,200,000 for 2015.

The subsidy for each day of full-time employment for beneficiaries (employees and wage earners) under the age of 25, who will be recruited under the program, amounts to the amount of 15 euros per day and up to 25 days per month (insurance days).

The grant amount covers part of the wage costs.

Conditions for participation

Beneficiary enterprises are subsidised by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare , under the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development 2007-2013", which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and national resources.

The programme includes companies that have not, during the period of the beneficiaries' traineeship and up to the date of submission of the application for inclusion in the programme, carried out Staff reduction. The above also applies to the period of time that may elapse between the date of recruitment after the end of the internship and the date of submission of the application for inclusion in the program.

It should be noted that the termination of the employment contract is considered as a reduction in staff, as well as voluntary departure at the initiative of the employer, mainly through schemes providing financial incentives for voluntary departure.

The following shall not be considered to be a reduction in staff:

• voluntary withdrawal;
• the termination of a fixed-term contract,
• the termination of an employment contract due to retirement, and
• the termination of a fixed-term employment contract before its expiry due to an important reason concerning the employee,

provided that the necessary supporting documents are provided.

It is not possible to subject companies that have made a change in the employment status of its staff from full-time to part-time or rotational employment, etc. during the internship and before the application for inclusion in the program.

It is also not possible to include in the program companies that operate:

• at in the fisheries sector ,
• the coal sector (e.g. mining companies, mines) and
• in the field of primary production of agricultural products (plant and animal), but also
• those undertakings identified as being in difficulty and in respect of which the recovery of former State aid is pending