JOBS: Nearly 7,000 Cyprus youths joined HRDA projects

Some 6,840 young people have taken part in placement projects implemented by the Human Resource Development Authority to address youth unemployment with a budget of EUR 24 mln, according to Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance Minister Zeta Emilianides.

She said that 1,946 graduates of secondary and post-secondary education and 4,894 university graduates joined the HRDA projects that subsidised the employ of out-of-work young people in businesses or public organisations.
Emilianides noted that in February 2009, the HRDA implemented a Special Prevention-Action Plan at an estimated cost of EUR 65 mln with the number of participants to date reaching 39,000.
The Minister said the crisis has mostly affected young people, but appeared confident that the targets set for the projects will be accomplished.
In 2013 the Authority spent EUR 21.6 mln on training schemes. A total of 53,493 persons took part in 5,726 training programmes funded or approved by the Authority, said its Chairwoman Niki Mattheou.
According to the latest figures of the EU’s statistical service Eurostat, unemployment in Cyprus fell to 15.4% in August or 67,000 people, compared with 15.7% in July and 72,000 or 16.6% in August 2013. The jobless rate among the under 25s was 37.1% in June, or 16,000 people.