Recent Eurostat figures show that the number of people unemployed in the 27 member states of the EU has increased over the last year and now exceeds the 23 million mark. Nevertheless, the situation is improving in eight member states, with their unemployment numbers falling. Countries that registered a reduction in unemployment include Germany, which went from 7.4 per cent to 6.6 per cent, and Finland, from 8.8 per cent to 8.1 per cent, while Malta featured prominently in this success with the largest fall – from 7.3 per cent to 6.2 per cent.

Of course, encouraging figures, percentages and comparisons are cold comfort to the 6,500 or so people still registering for work in Malta and Gozo, and to this end we remain committed to creating more and better jobs. We are fully aware of the fact that, in order to achieve this, we need to continue attracting more investment, more participation in the labour market and more members of our workforce into training and life-long learning.

This year’s budget vote for education is an impressive €340m. We continue to invest heavily in early childhood education, with the introduction of new childcare centres and new technologies to aid teaching and learning in the primary years. At the same time we are continuing to invest in higher education, with the University of Malta, the Institute for Tourism Studies and MCAST featuring prominently in our strategies. From the training aspect, the Employment and Training Corporation plays a very significant role by providing an array of training courses, and we cannot fail to mention the Life-Long Learning Department, which provides courses for more than 12,000 people.

The aim is to have a better skilled workforce that is educated, trained and possesses the right qualifications for specific jobs. Many people are able to avail themselves of opportunities without any problem whatsoever, but others encounter difficulties at some stage or another, for various reasons, and we believe they deserve another chance and should not be left by the wayside.

It is for this reason that Youth Inc was officially launched last Friday by the Foundation for Educational Services and the Employment and Training Corporation. It is an educational programme intended to reach young people aged between 16 and 21 who finished obligatory schooling without obtaining the qualifications required for higher education and still do not have a job. It is intended to help them acquire skills by a different educational route that uses a combination of formal and non-formal education and study and vocational training, including employment experience and voluntary work.

To incentivise these students they will receive a stipend just like any other student in a post-secondary institution and they will be closely monitored by professional youth workers and career guidance specialists. After successfully completing two years of education and training, these young people will be awarded qualifications recognised by both the Malta Qualifications Council and internationally.

We are encouraging all our young people to suceed, first and foremost because we want to see every individual reaching his or her maximum potential and secondly because Malta’s collective success depends on a highly skilled workforce.

Clyde Puli is the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport