Employment Programme for the Middle-aged

The Labour Department has launched the "Employment Programme for the Middle-aged". It is geared to assisting the middle-aged job seekers in securing sustainable employment through targeted employment assistance and on-the-job training.

All the job seekers aged 40 or above and have an aggregate unemployment period of 3 months or more within 1 year prior to the commencement date of employment are eligible for the Programme.

No prior registration is required. Job seekers may use the employment services provided by the Labour Department as usual. When employers employ or prepare to employ job seekers aged 40 or above and have an aggregate unemployment period of 3 months or more within 1 year prior to the commencement date of employment to fill full time permanent jobs, the job seekers concerned should register at any Job Centres in person as soon as possible if they have not yet registered.

Please note that with effect from 2 October 2008, in order to be eligible for the Programme, job seekers must be aged 40 or above at the time of employment, and have an aggregate unemployment period of 3 months or more within 1 year prior to the commencement date of employment. For enquiries, please contact the Programme Office at 2150 6398.

Employers who register their vacancies of full time permanent posts with the Labour Department and employ job seekers aged 40 or above, have an aggregate unemployment period of 3 months or more within 1 year prior to the commencement date of employment to fill such posts, may submit preliminary applications for the provision of 3-month on-the job training (OJT) to the job seekers to equip them with necessary job specific skills. If the job seekers concerned have not yet registered at the Labour Department, the employers should request them to register at any Job Centres in person as soon as possible.

Employers may apply for a training allowance of $1,500 per month up to a maximum period of 3 months upon completion of OJT for each of the job seeker.

Interested employers simply need to register their vacancies with us by completing the "Employment Programme for the Middle-aged" Vacancy Order Form. Employers may indicate in the Order Form their preference in employing participants of the Employment Programme for the Middle-aged. Job seekers must obtain the information of the related job order through the Labour Department, then depends on the job application method of the related job order selected by employers, job seekers may apply for the posts through referrals of the Labour Department or directly to the employers.

When employers are going to offer employment and provide OJT to eligible job seekers, they have to submit a duly completed Preliminary Application Form to the Programme office before the commencement of employment or within 1 month after the commencement of employment of the job seekers.