Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo said that a ‘skills council’ is going to be set up in order to identify and address the skills gap currently found in Malta’s labour market.

Speaking to the Malta Independent, Mr Bartolo said that the biggest issue facing the labour market is a skills gap, as demand for labour is becoming increasingly specialised. He said that both the number of jobs and economic growth are on the increase, however there are certain job sectors where potential employees need to develop certain skills in order to fully benefit.

He continued by saying that Malta never experienced the extraordinary high levels of youth unemployment as in other EU Member States, however Malta must address its issues with people experiencing long-term unemployment, especially middle-aged people. He said that the skills council would address these issues. 

Dr Bartolo said that the council will work to address a lack of skills in specific sectors, such as financial, digital as well as traditional sectors that are making more use of technological advancements. He said that such work will incorporate assistance from educational institutions, employers, unions and all stakeholders. Mr Bartolo said that schemes will be set up that are relevant to the rapidly changing current job market.

In response to statements made by EU Regional Commissioner Corina Cretu, where she said “almost €828 million from the European Structural and Investment Funds will support the country (Malta) in its efforts to create jobs and growth over the 2014-2020 period,” Mr Bartolo said that the priority for these funds is to increase economic activity, specifically for women and people with disabilities.

Turning to how the funds for the 2014-2020 financial period are planned to be spent, Mr Bartolo said that plans are still in their preliminary stages, and that discussions between government and the European Commission are underway.