The purpose of the measure „Training in the employer’s facilities” (hereinafter Practical training) is practical training of the employee needed by the employer by organising training in the employer’s facilities.

 

Target group for the practical training: unemployed persons registered in the State Employment Agency (hereinafter Agency) who have expressed a wish to participate in the Practical training and comply with the criteria for participation:

  • are not involved in other measures organized by the Agency;
  • have not been employed by the respective employer at least 12 months before engaging in the practical training;
  • have completed the previous practical training (incl. Practical training in the priority sectors) at least two years ago; this restriction does not apply to cases when participation in the Practical training was interrupted due to reasons beyond the unemployed person’s control and was shorter that a half of the planned time of participation;
  • have not learned the professional competencies to be taught in this Practical training during the previous Practical training (including practical training in priority sectors);
  • comply with the qualification requirements set by the employer;
  • have refunded to the Agency the training and the received grant as well as the financial compensation for regional mobility of young people if participation was terminated without proper justification.

 

The unemployed persons have a possibility to receive financial compensation up to 100 euro per month for regional mobility support – for covering the transport expenses from the declared place of residence to the location of Practical training in the employer’s facilities and back or compensation for rent of living space or residence halls expenses in the following cases:

  • The place of Practical training in the employer’s facilities is located at least 15 km from the declared place of residence;
  • The unemployed person has been declared in the indicated place of residence for at least six months.
  • The unemployed person sends a submission to the local office of the Agency. By the fifth date of each month the unemployed person must submit justification for the Financial compensation.

See more detailed information on financial compensation for regional mobility support here.
 
The main conditions of the Practical training:

  • Length of participation is 6 months in practical training, an employment contract is signed and after that the employment legal relationships with the employer continue at least 6 months;
  • Practical training is not organised for works requiring low or no qualification (Simple professions in accordance to the ninth basic group of the Classification of occupations);
  • Practical training includes acquiring professional competencies corresponding to professional competencies of first, second and third level of professional qualification;
  • the employer provides a newly created job (the job is newly created or has been vacant at least 4 months before the beginning of the Practical training and the particular unemployed person has not been employed by the respective employer at least 12 months before participation in the Practical training).


Making a decision on providing de minimis support, the Agency provides the following financial support to the employer for carrying out the Practical training:
1.    Subsidies of the monthly wages to the unemployed person for full work time in proportion to the days worked during the month:
•   200 euro during the first three months of the period;
•   150 euro during the final three months of the period.
2.    Subsidies for compulsory state social insurance payments from the subsidised part of the wage if the employer who has signed a contract on implementation of Practical training is a society or a foundation with a purpose to provide support to  persons with disabilities and employs the unemployed persons in the following professions – assistant or companion to persons with disabilities, hearing impaired translator, Latvian sign language interpreter, teacher of an interest group or  specialised teacher for persons with disabilities. The total number of the unemployed participating in the Practical training must not exceed 50% of the total number of people employed by the society or foundation;
3.    subsidy of monthly wage for the work supervisor working with the unemployed people undergoing the Practical training. Subsidy of monthly wage for the work supervisor equal to 50% of the minimum monthly wage established in Latvia. One work supervisor may supervise the work of maximum of two unemployed persons;
4.    expenses for health examinations in accordance with laws and regulations on compulsory health examinations, not more than 30 euro;
5.    one time subsidy for personal protective equipment in accordance with laws and regulations at the beginning of work, not more than 100 euro;
6.    one time subsidy for adjusting workplaces for unemployed persons with disabilities, not more than 711 euro per workplace.
 
The employer provides the following to the unemployed persons involved in the Practical training:

  • wage up to the amount stated in the application together with the subsidy but not less than the minimum wage established in Latvia;
  • compulsory payments of state social insurance;
  • learning the professional competences by organising the necessary theoretical or practical training and providing basic knowledge on the professional duties;
  • a qualified work supervisor assisting to strengthen the professional abilities, skills and knowledge. One work supervisor may supervise the work of maximum two unemployed persons.  A qualified work supervisor is a person with education or at least two years of experience in the profession in which the unemployed persons undergo Practical training;
  • ability to perform the professional duties and basic tasks independently: After completion of the Practical training the employer issues a written statement with evaluation of the acquired professional abilities, skills and knowledge in the form of a description.


The employer shall compensate to the Agency all financial support received during the Practical training if the employment legal relationships with the unemployed person have been terminated without a justifying reason during the Practical training and six months after the Practical training.

How can employers apply for Practical training?
Step 1
Fill in the application form and attach the requested information.
Step 2
Submit the application to the local office of the administrative territory in which creation of the job is planned, by visiting the office or sending the application by post. See contact information of all local offices of the Agency HERE
Step 3
The Agency local office receives the employer’s application and organises a committee for selection of employers implementing the active labour market measures. The committee reviews the applications and decides on approval or refusal of implementation of Practical training by the employer, in accordance with the  „Regulations on the State Employment Agency local office committee for selection of entrepreneurs implementing active labour market measures” and „Procedure for selection of employers implementing the active labour market measure „Training in the employer’s facilities”
Step 4
The Agency local office informs the employer about the decision made and in case of a positive answer invites the employer to participate in selection of unemployed persons for participation in Practical training, sign an agreement on Practical training in the employer’s facilities.
 
In 2015 the Agency plans to involve 300 unemployed persons in the measure "Practical training in the employer’s facilities". See distribution by Agency local offices HERE