The Social Welfare Department invites welfare agencies to apply for two-year funding support from the fourth batch of Intensive Employment Assistance Projects and the District Employment Assistance Trial Projects, running from October through September 2008.

The application deadline is July 24.

The department will launch three trial projects in Tin Shui Wai, Tsuen Kwai and Tung Chung to alleviate the problems facing long-term unemployed welfare recipients there.

The trial projects aim to offer more targeted assistance, which include job attachment as well as a one-off $1,500 stipend to enable participants to meet work-related expenses before they receive their first pay.

The assistance projects, since their launch in 2003, have helped 31,000 jobless people, and more than 40% of them secured jobs.