Malta: Redundant employees entitlement to public support

Jobsplus, set up in 2000 under the name of Employment and Training Corporation, is Malta's public employment service organisation. Jobsplus assists redundant employees, including those hit by collective redundancies, to find new jobs. By registering as unemployed persons with Jobsplus, redundant employees may enjoy several benefits and services, including employment advice, economic assistance and participation in specific training courses and schemes meant to increase their employability. In cases of redundancy, Jobsplus contacts employers to explain the services available and gather additional information about the redundancies. Such information allows Jobsplus to develop solutions for the employees in collaboration with the employer. 'Services may include an information session for all those involved, contacting and guiding individuals that are about to lose their job, and outreaching to alternative employers working within the same field or industry' (ETC, 2015). In 2015, Jobsplus trained nearly 7,000 persons (ETC, 2015). The organisation managed to reduce the number of registered unemployed persons from 4,760 in November 2015 to 3,021 in November 2016 (NSO, 2017).