Work enhancing Activities for Unemployed People

(Photo credits: Alan Cleaver / flickr)

In collaboration with the job center the unemployed person will form a retraining program. You are obligated to abide the plan to preserve your right to unemployment benefits.

When must I take part in a retraining program?

You will be enrolled in a retraining program by the job center no later than after an out-of-job period for nine months when are between 30 and 60 years old. If you are under 30 years old, you have the right and duty to be “activated” by the time you have been unemployed for three months. The retraining offer must be for a minimum period of six months. If you are over 60 years old you will be “activated” after six months. While participating in the retraining program, you are obliged to continue to job hunt and accept work that the job center place you in.

Types of retraining / “activation”

There are three types of activation:

• In a company
• Jobs with a wage subsidy
• Guidance and training

In a company

You can get an internship in a public or a private company. The internship period may last up to four weeks for unemployed members of an unemployment fund, and up to 13 weeks of cash assistance recipients. It should be a continuous period to benefit the most of the internship.

Special rules apply for the duration of training period for persons under 30 years. An internship can lead to a job in a privately owned business or a job with a wage subsidy.

Jobs with a wage subsidy

You can get employment with a wage subsidy in a private or a public company. The employer will receive a subsidy to your salary. The course is a joint agreement between you, the job center, your unemployment insurance fund and the business organisation. If you are employed in a job with a wage subsidy, you must remain registered as unemployed in your job center. The course can last up to one year. There are special rules for young people.

Guidance and Training

Guidance and Training can mean short guidance and clarification processes, special projects, and a short training course.

Guide and the Training must not exceed a total of six weeks within the first nine months you are unemployed. However, courses lasting less than two weeks are not included in the six weeks.

Economy during the retraining period

If you are in a company or in a guidance and training course, you can receive unemployment benefits if you are a member of an unemployment fund, or otherwise cash assistance from the municipality (only if you have no means available). If you have a job with a wage subsidy with a private employer, you are paid according to the convention governing the work you are doing. If you have a job with a wage subsidy with a public employer, you may not receive more than the equivalent of the individual per diem rate of pay.

Let your consultant at the job center inform you about the details in your specific case.