The Employment and Training Corporation has embarked on a programme which aims to cut down unemployment from 5,000 to 4,000, chairman Clyde Caruana said.
Unveiling a total rebranding of the corporation, Mr Caruana said that the female participation in the workforce has increased from 49% to 54.3% since 2013, dependency on social benefits has been cut down by 20% and youth unemployment has reduced by 26%.
At an extraordinary general meeting Chairman of ETC Malta, Clyde Caruana, unveiled plans for a complete rebranding of the corporation.
During the meeting Mr Caruana revealed plans for ETC’s new name, which will be ‘Jobs plus.’ He said that the new brand will reflect a commitment to not only provide guidance for those seeking employment but to also initiate schemes and initiatives that will provide productive and long-term employment. He said that after the budget, the rebranding will be discussed in parliament in the coming weeks.
He continued by saying that the new corporation will not only serve those who are unemployed but will provide assistance, and communicate with employers and professionals so as to bridge certain gaps found between employees and employers.
Mr Caruana said that in the coming weeks the corporation will be working tirelessly to ensure that the public receive the best possible service from his employees. He continued by highlighting the positive work that has been carried out over the past two years, stating that female labour participation has gone up from 49% in 2013 to 54.3% in 2014. He also cited a decrease in social benefit dependency of 20% and a decrease in youth unemployment of 26%.
He said that the ETC’s goal is to further reduce the number of unemployed from 5000 individuals to 4000. Mr Caruana continued by revealing plans to assist in providing jobs in the private sector for those individuals who have been registered as unemployed for over a year. He said that one of the principal aims for the ETC is to reduce the amount of time that people spend registered as unemployed.
Minister of Education and Employment’s speech
Minister for Education and Employment, Evarist Bartolo, said that there has been a ‘quiet revolution’ in Malta’s job market.
He said that while other country’s employment rates have continued to suffer, Malta has undergone a revolution and the job market has continued to strengthen. Dr Bartolo said that he agrees with Mr Caruana on the fact that the role of the ETC is crucial in improving and strengthening Malta’s job market.
He continued by again highlighting the challenge of a skills gap between the demand and supply for labour, stating that in a modern economy the personnel’s skills cannot remain static, but must adapt with continually changing demands.
He said that we are slowly heading towards a situation where companies must increasingly look outside Malta’s labour market in order to employ specialised personnel, and that if this continues to occur economic growth will be seriously hindered.
He said that educational and vocational institutions have an instrumental role in addressing the skills gap, and he also said that after due diligence takes place resident visas must be issued more quickly, so that companies who are wishing to expand and needing to hire outside personnel will not be hindered by bureaucratic processes.
He concluded by saying that although there are plans to rebrand the ETC, the human aspect, and the respect for human dignity must remain an integral principle in the corporation’s principals.