National reform programme 2008-2010 Malta - European Commission

Employment
Increasing employment is one of the key thrusts of the Lisbon Agenda and also one of the top
priorities in the current Maltese administration. Through the main thrusts in this area, Malta’s
unemployment rate by gender has decreased in the past year to 6.4% which is below the EU
27 and 25, at 7.1% and 7.2% respectively. 16
Nevertheless, Malta has some challenges to face particularly in the areas of older workers
and women. In this respect, one has also to keep in mind the socio-cultural characteristics of
the Maltese scenario. The Maltese society places a great deal of emphasis on the concept
of the family, thus it is a known fact that attracting females back to the labour market is
particularly challenging. This is particularly the case with older women who due to the
traditional and cultural forces around them, may have never been in actual formal
employment. This situation is particularly evident when one notices that with younger people,
the employment rates are particularly promising with 44.3% of the 15-24 age bracket and
68.2% of the 25-54 age bracket in employment as opposed to 28% for the 55-64 bracket. 17
Nevertheless, Government is committed to continue working to increase the employment
opportunities, as well as facilitating the return to employment of these segments of society by
providing a framework that facilitates the work life balance and family friendly measures.
The state of play of the NRP 2005-2008 measures relating to employment are outlined below:
Measure 3.1
Revise the Employment and Training corporation (ETC) youth strategy to address the needs
of the youth group and to generate personalised employment paths for unemployed youths
The first draft of the Youth Strategy 2008/2009 was approved and a consultation forum was
organised in February 2008. Following this consultation process the strategy was officially
launched on the 20th May 2008. 18 Its main aim is to encourage more youth to pursue
continuous education and integrate in the world of work, with the necessary skills needed by
the economy.
More concretely this strategy aims to:
• develop a strategy for its youth client group for a two year period;
• Develop career paths for youth unemployed;
• Youth website ;
• Early School Leavers Training / Basic Employment Training;
• Enhance Youth Guidance services / Introduction of new Employment Measures;
• Youth Employment Measures; and
• Developed personalised action plans for youth unemployed.
For the period October 2007 till January 2008 the ETC has placed 2051 youths in full time
employment and 433 in part time work.
Measure 3.2
Train and engage mothers absent from the labour market
Mothers are the primary educators of their children, thus it is believed that these can
undertake occasional remunerated educational service work that will not disrupt their family
routine and child rearing.
16 Eurostat Structural Indicator, Unemployment Rate by Gender, 2007.
17 NSO News Release 173/2008, 1 st October 2008 Labour Force Survey Q2 2008,
18 Youth Strategy 2008/2009. Available online from http://www.etc.gov.mt/docs/ETC%20report.pdf [Accessed on 1
October 2008]
Malta National Reform Programme 2008-2010 - 15 -