Employers in Malta are being encouraged to employ people who have not worked for six months or more – especially those from less-employed groups such as people aged over 50, single parents and people with disabilities – with a project that offers incentives to bring people back into work.

The project, called Access to Employment, or A2E, offers employers a subsidy when they recruit someone from a target group.

Created by Jobsplus, the country’s employment and training corporation, and co-financed by the European Social Fund, the Maltese Government and employers, A2E encourages businesses to invest in people, and bridges the gap between labour market supply and demand.

And by actively supporting people to find work experience and reintegrate, it is also increasing social cohesion. Jobseekers who may have felt discouraged in the past now feel more able to apply for roles, and businesses are thinking more creatively about the people they could employ.