Everybody knows Malta is a popular tourist destination, with its 7,000 years of rich history, heavenly blue waters, wonderful views of the Three Cities from Valletta Waterfront, the long walk down Republic Street in Valletta, lively nights in Paceville and the oldest megalithic temples on earth declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO, as well as a perfect place to learn English right in the centre of the Mediterranean. However, beyond this unique environment, Malta is gradually attracting the attention of foreigners who choose the island as the place to gain work experience away from home.
According to data from the Employment and Training Corporation and statistics published recently in Business Agenda, the official publication of the Malta Business Bureau, the number of EU citizens working in Malta has jumped eightfold since Malta joined the EU. The data reveals that from 2004 – the year Malta became an EU member up to the third quarter of 2010, the number of EU citizens working on the island has risen from 597 to over 4,800, an 800 per cent increase. These statistics also show that the number of EU workers in Malta has risen by between 26 and 36 per cent each year, apart from 2008 and 2009 when it fell by around six per cent.
On joining the EU, Malta applied Article 39 of the EC Treaty, which established the free movement of workers between EU countries in the private sector and with some restrictions in the public sector. EU workers with an ID or passport issued by a member state can reside and work in Malta, subject to obtaining a residence permit and an employment licence from the ETC. The process to obtain such permits is efficient and this might be an extra reason why Malta has become so popular for work experience placements.
Guenther Kurz, Mould Shop manager in the Playmobil Engineering Department, recalls the time when he needed these documents when Malta was not yet an EU member. “I had just finished my engineering studies in 1986 when Playmobil offered me the perfect job opportunity. I decided to take it. Bureaucracy played its part, but given that Playmobil was a significant employer, the work
permit was issued without much trouble. I remember our HR office seeing to the arrangements very efficiently”, he says. The support of a strong HR department of an international company based in Malta, as well as getting married to a Maltese, were the two fast track methods EU citizens could use to settle successfully in Malta. Nowadays, being a citizen of one of the other 26 EU member nations is enough.
Spanish girl Natalia Guijarro and her boyfriend arrived in Malta last September, planning to enjoy work experience and learn English. When Natalia’s boyfriend lost his job in Spain, with little prospect of finding another one quickly enough, the opportunity to gain work experience and learn English in Malta became his best option. Natalia asked for extended leave of absence from her well-paid job in Spain and one month later she found employment with a leading hotel in Portomaso. It was a contrast to the situation at home, where there is a 20.6 per cent unemployment rate. “The ETC registered my profile and every day I received several job offers by email. I accepted the hotel’s offer as I hope to become proficient in speaking English in a few months, because this is something I have promised myself,” she says. “Nevertheless, my love for developing social projects in an organisation is strong as this is my true profession and this is what I really wish to do – who knows?” says Natalia, who has a degree in Social Education and an MSc degree in Familiar Therapy.
The freedom of movement for EU citizens in the 27 member states is proving a beacon of light and hope for many talented people who wish to advance, acquire new competencies and enrich their experiences in other countries at a time when their own country might not be offering much. Natalia’s situation is an example of how the concept of freedom of movement translates into concrete measures that make a difference to
people by fulfilling their personal aspirations and I am sure Maltese citizens have similar experiences when working abroad.
Ms Soriano is a Spanish journalist at the Foundation for Human Resources Development