The Employment and Training Corporation has invested more than Lm2 million to retrain people over 40 and who are registering for work, Employ-ment Minister Louis Galea said yesterday.

Speaking at the presentation of certificates to participants who successfully complete the TEES (Train-ing and Employment Ex-posure Scheme) programme, the minister said that of the 460 who received training, 65 per cent were working.

The minister said that by the end of 2006, 299 had found work, 251 continued to work with the company that sponsored them during TEES, while another 40 found alternative employment. Eight people opened their own business.

According to the ETC, by end-2006, 39 did not continue the scheme or register for work, while 110 of those who benefited from the scheme are now registering for work.

Dr Galea said it was very difficult for those over 40 and without a job to find work when their skill is no longer required in the marketplace.

It was for this reason that the National Employment Plan had identified this category as being of particular importance.

He added that in 2004, more than 3,155 people registering for work were aged 40 and over.

By September 2006, this had dropped to 2,677, a decrease he attributed to the ETC’s efforts to help people find work.