aiming to promote EURES and the principle of worker mobility in Europe, as part of ongoing efforts on the part of EURES and the ETC to promote its services with secondary schools.
ETC CEO Dr Sue Vella opened the seminar and stressed the importance of the role of PSD teachers in equipping students with the vital personal and social skills necessary in today’s labour market, and particularly to take full advantage of the challenges and opportunities of working across cultures in other European countries.
The views of students on job mobility were revealed in a research study on job mobility trends of recent graduates, conducted by Albert Debono from the University of Malta. The research findings were presented during the seminar. The study, carried out among 3,000 university and MCAST students, shows that almost 53 per cent of students are aware of EURES while 3.4 per cent are already working abroad (with three per cent working in the EU). The preferred country for working abroad is the UK (19.6 per cent of respondents) followed by Ireland, Belgium, Italy and Austria.
PSD teachers were also addressed by Dr Agnes Bradier, a representative from the European Commission, responsible for the EURES network. Dr Bradier referred to the importance of worker mobility in Europe both as a fundamental freedom and to the European economy. She said that over four million jobs are currently vacant in the EU, while the unemployment rate is at 7.9 per cent. Only two per cent of workers in the EU-27 are currently living and working in another Member State.
Dr. Bradier also referred to a research study carried out among 500 Maltese respondents. The UK and Ireland again are on top of the preferences of Maltese workers. She also spoke about the European Commission’s Job Mobility Action Plan for 2007-2010. The Action Plan aims to improve existing legislation and administration practices, to enhance the policy dimension of mobility, to reinforce the service provision of EURES and to foster awareness of the advantages of mobility.
The EURES portal, www.eures.europa.eu, was also explained. Over 1,300,000 vacancies are promoted on the portal which receives between 800,000 and 1,000,000 visitors a month. Over 300,000 persons have submitted their CV on the portal and 11,500 employers are registered. The EURES network, spread in 31 countries, has over 700 qualified EURES career advisers.
EURES Malta can be reached by freephone on 800 765 05 or by email at [email protected]. The EURES office at ETC in Hal Far is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to noon.