Attracting new economic niches to Malta also requires the early investment in an adequately trained Maltese workforce that is able to take up careers in these emerging and developing sectors, MEP Miriam Dalli said.

Addressing a dialogue with residents in Birkirkara, Miriam Dalli spoke of the need to start guiding students towards those sectors which will form the basis of the Maltese economy. Amongst others, this would also include Blockchain, distributed ledger technology, artificial intelligence and clean technology. Such guidance, Dalli added, should start as early as the first years of Secondary school.  

“The Labour Government’s vision is to attract new sectors founded on digital technology. I believe there is an opportunity to diversify, including by investing in clean technology and green economy which would help us create new employment opportunities. We should start investing in students today, who in 10, 15 years’ time will be part of the labour market,” Miriam Dalli said.

Dalli added that, in view of the direction Malta had taken, policymakers should ensure that Maltese and Gozitan students are guided towards successful careers. “This way we can ensure that Maltese and Gozitans have the best employment opportunities in their own country,” she said.

During a recent visit to MCAST, the administration of the educational institution explained to Dr Dalli its collaboration with the industry to ensure that students are trained in industries where there is high demand for employees. “Even though there is a large demand for workers in different sectors, especially in the digital economy, the number of students specialising in these sectors is still relatively low. Our youths need to be prepared for these careers, both academically and through more work placements,” the Labour MEP said.

The need for workers to be continuously trained should be a priority, especially in today’s fast-paced world marked by rapid technological changes, Dalli added as she highlighted that a worker’s ability to remain flexible and adapt was a valuable trait.

Turning to pensions, Miriam Dalli welcomed the Government’s decision to increase pensions aswell as other initiatives that alleviate burdens faced by pensions. Remaining one of the most vulnerable groups of our society, Dalli called for an increase in pensions for the elderly in Budget 2019.

Further topics such as the environment, irregular migration and security were also discussed.