Some 1,800 youths benefited from the government’s Youth Guarantee last year and the government aims to bring that number closer to 3,000 this year, Education and Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo said today.
Mr Bartolo and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat were addressing a press conference at the Maltapost head offices in Qormi this afternoon. The company is one of the Youth Guarantee’s main partners and currently employs some 16 youths as part of the programme.
Mr Bartolo said the government’s aim is for all youths to be either in education or employment. 1,244 have attended revision and remedial classes and 144 attended the alternative learning programme, Mr Bartolo said.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the Youth Guarantee has led to a reduction in unemployed youths. “We often speak about concepts and ideas but today we can see the real results of the scheme.” Indications were showing, he said, that that Youth Guarantee is a successful scheme, with many youths who take part in its training programmes finding employment. “Youth unemployment has gone down by a third thanks to this scheme and other similar initiatives.”
Employment and Training Corporation CEO Clyde Caruana said that by next month all currently unemployed youths will have been offered an opportunity to train and find a job. He explained that unemployed youths are being offered soft-skill training followed by a 12-week job exposure period and a traineeship. Mr Caruana said around 150 companies are taking part in the programme. Some companies from the manufacturing sector had offered as much as 50 places for youths.
Maltapost Chairman Joe Said said the company supports every effort to train people for the workplace. He said the company will soon engage more youths as part of the programme.
Company CEO Joseph Gafa said explained that the 620-strong company is currently investing in the e-commerce sector and has recently introduced the new Send-on service, allowing customers to purchase products online and having them shipped over by Maltapost from locations and stores that do not post to Malta.