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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms related to transversal skills and employability
Malta

Malta

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.5National reforms related to transversal skills and employability

Last update: 2 October 2024

2024

Launch of courses for shift workers

As of October 2024, the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Employability introduced new courses designed for the needs of workers employed on shift basis. These Courses will be offered in English as a Foreign Language and Maltese as a Foreign Language, both at MQF 1.

These courses will be offered online, with learners expected to attend at least 40% of lessons synchronously and another 40% asynchronously, which parameters aim to accommodate the needs of shift work schedules. Learners are expected to submit the tasks assigned by the educator at the end of every lesson regardless whether they attend synchronously or asynchronously.

Training courses by Jobsplus

As of 2024, Jobsplus, Malta Public Employment Service, has updated a number of its micro-credential courses, revising content and increasing accreditation to MQF level 4. These courses included: 


-    Award for A+ PC Technicians
-    Award in GDPR for the Data Protection Officer
-    Award in Mental Health Support
-    Award in Web Design


In addition, new courses to meet the needs of the current labour market have been introduced. These include the Award in Marketing and Sales pegged at MQF level 4 and two non-accredited courses in Change Management and Defining Artificial Intelligence.  

2023

Jobsplus launches new courses in 21st Century Skills

In the last quarter of 2023, Jobsplus, the National Employment Agency, introduced a series of short courses aimed at developing 21st Century skills. These include courses in Entrepreneurship; a course on Critical Thinking and another one on Enhanced Creativity and Innovation. These courses aim to enhance participants’ soft skills and transversality.

Updates on SMARTLY project administered by Jobsplus

As part of the SMARTLY project, Jobsplus developed two training programmes, one focusing on Green skills (May, 2023) and the other on Digital skills (April,2023). In July 2023, it also developed a profiling tool that can evaluate the green and digital competences of youths. The online profiling tool is currently undergoing testing with 100 youths who are not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) across Malta, Croatia, and Cyprus.

ITS launches new Training School aimed at meeting the HORECA industry needs

In February 2023, The Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) launched a new Training School to provide training programmes and short courses to current and prospective workers within the hospitality and tourism industry. The Training School aims to be industry-driven in content and format. This includes offering courses that meet current skills gaps facing the industry and industry goals; offering the current workforce upskilling and reskilling opportunities within the industry; and offering both standard and bespoke programmes that meet the specific needs of the particular industry. 

2022

National Research and Innovation Strategic Plan 2023-2027

The Malta Council for Science and Technology launched the National Research and Innovation Strategic Plan for public consultation in December 2022, with the goals being: (i) Strengthening R&I Governance and Priority-Setting; (ii) Local Ecosystem Development; (iii) Enhanced Directionality through Missions and Smart Specialisation; (iv) Mainstreaming R&I in Public Policy which includes recommendation 4.3 aimed at the upgrading of the current system for STEM education and learning, to ensure that young people all have an appropriate STEM, R&I and entrepreneurial skillset when they enter the labour market.; and (v) R&I Implementation Structures. Public consultation ended on January 31st 2023. 

Jobsplus' initiative in the Green Economy


As the world of work continues to change, importance on green jobs is increasing. A study conducted by Jobsplus in 2022 regarding Green Jobs among 262 respondents from various companies, employers, training providers and agencies, aimed among others to identify training needs of green jobs.

Results showed an existing skills-gaps , indicating the need for training to support the green transition. Low-skilled and medium-skilled occupations require both new skills and upgrading of existing skills, while high-skilled occupations mostly require upgrading of existing skills. Responses indicate that this sector requires training for improving knowledge and skills (including transversal skills like motivation, creativity, communication and critical thinking). Such training would improve the employability and flexicurity of low skilled workers required in emerging industries.
Jobsplus is leading two major projects related to the ‘Green’ and ‘Digital’ areas: ‘Intercept project’, which is funded through the EEA and Norway Grants, and ‘Smartly project’, which is funded by the Erasmus+ programme. 

The ‘Intercept project’, provides NEETs (Persons Not in Education, Employment, or Training) aged between 25-29 an opportunity to participate in a 25 hours ‘Green Jobs motivational Training’ and a 240 hours work placement with an employer in an area or job related which is already contributing to the green economy. Jobsplus from Malta is the lead partner. In the Intercept Project, Jobsplus is partnered with 8 other organisations coming from 5 European countries, namely:  Visionary Analytics from Lithuania; The Lithuanian Public Employment Service; CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research from Poland;  the Institute of Economic Research - Slovak Academy of Sciences; the Region of Tuscany, Anci Toscana and Grosseto University Hub from Italy and ADEM, the National Employment Agency of Luxembourg. The overall budget allocated for the Intercept project amounts to €2,181,658.62, of which Jobsplus is allocated a total of  €513,636.05. 


‘Smartly Project’ established a new enhanced profiling tool for NEETs that aims to measure green and digital skills as well as design an interactive training programme with the objective to equip individuals with such skills. Jobsplus also started offering a number of green jobs related courses in agriculture to the general public for free. In the Smartly Project, Jobsplus is partnered with 7 other organisations coming from 6 European countries, namely: CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research from Poland; Cde Petra Patrimonia from France; Anci Toscana and Grosseto University Hub from Italy;  ADEM, the National Employment Agency of Luxembourg; Ministry of Labour And Social Insurance, Cyprus; Hrvatski Zavod Za Zaposljavanje, Croatian Employment Service. The overall budget allocated for the Smartly project amounts to €399,965.00, of which Jobsplus is allocated a total of €89,437.00.

European Digital Credentials for Learning - University of Malta


In collaboration with the European University of the Seas and Europass, the University of Malta embarked on a new project to provide European Digital Credentials for Learning to all of the University of Malta graduands from 2021 onwards. The European Digital Credentials for Learning include a digital version of the scroll that is signed with a unique electronic seal (that is the digital equivalent of an institution’s rubber stamp). This allows potential employers, education and training institutions to easily authenticate, validate and recognise credentials of any size, shape or form.