Malta: The national employment policy
English
Governments
Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment
Access to training
Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.
This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.
Career guidance and employment services
Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.
Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.
Training quality and relevance
National policies and initiatives
National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.
Demand-side and supply-side initiatives are targeted towards different sub-sections of the population such as immigrants, inmates, the elderly, females and youths. Investment for demand purposes serves mainly to stimulate employers’ demand for labour. The reasons why such interventions may be required include the need to compensate for low productivity among workers who have been long-term unemployed, persons with a long history of inactivity, and persons with a disability. On the other hand, investment in the supply-side addresses the employability of labour and its productivity through the enhancement of human capital; there remains a considerable number of persons who are inactive and young. Through adequate training and appropriate incentive schemes, the distance of these persons from the labour market can be diminished. In addition, the general level of human capital in the economy could be improved which is necessary for a flexible labour market. Efforts to improve national emploment prospects are expected to result in both social and economic benefits to the Maltese population.
Employability
Inclusion
People with disabilities
Skills and training policy
Skills upgrading
Europe and Central Asia
