Description
Country
Focus area
The National Skills Council (NSC) has the responsibility for identifying skills gaps in the economy and recommending remedial actions. The National Skills Council brings together representatives of the University of Malta (UoM), enterprises, public and private bodies, research centres, educational experts, and civil society. The NSC not only takes stock of existing skills needs, but also informs the education system on whether it is producing the skills the economy needs. It works with a wide range of stakeholders and conducts research.
Link
Reference/weblink
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
Setup by means of Subsidiary Legislation 327.547 of the Laws of Malta.
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
The NSC was launched at the end of 2016.
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
It is actually a core skills assessment & anticipation initiative in Malta, designed to identify and respond to current and ongoing skill mismatches.
Policy area
To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
Funding
How it is funded?
Funded by national government
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Overqualification (individuals' qualifications/credentials are above their job's needs)
Underqualification (individuals' qualifications/credentials are below their job's needs)
Skill underutilisation (individuals' skills are not well used in their jobs)
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
Skill gaps (worker's skills are below the level of proficiency required by their employers and jobs)
Skills obsolescence (some or all of an individual's skills are no longer relevant to the current employer or in the labour market generally)
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
All of the above. The NSC's aim is to review the past and present available skills within the labour work force and evaluate the changes required to meet current and future needs. It therefore seeks to minimise the skill gaps that exist in some of the demanding and rewarding sectors such as the digital, technical and financial sectors where Malta has, and can maintain, excellence. It is the council’s task to recommend policy changes to the government that would reduce these gaps and prepare the labour force with the right skills, to meet the future challenges.
Skills delivered
What types of skill does the initiative deliver?
Basic literacy and numeracy skills
Basic digital skills
More advanced digital skills
General employability skills (team working, communication, etc.)
Green skills
Job search skills
Career management skills
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
Expert panels
As the NSC brings together a wide range of stakeholders under one roof, it also pools expert knowledge emanating from different sectors of the economy.
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
The NSC strives to increase the effectiveness of Malta's education and lifelong learning systems. It therefore seeks to use labour market informationa/skills intelligence to: Create systems which acknowledge other forms of learning, Expose students to the world of work, and Motivate the workforce towards a commitment of continuous education.
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National ministry
Ministry for Education
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
National agency
Malta Enterprise
National PES
Jobsplus
Chambers of Commerce
Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
Training Providers
Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology; Institute for Tourism Studies
Research centres, universities
University of Malta
Other
Civil Society; Lifelong Learning Specialists
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Other
All of the above. It is clear that the present global dynamic economic situation emphasizes the need for a more responsive education and ongoing training. In the Maltese context, the size of the labour force and the challenges of industry to find the right skills is also magnified by its insularity. Currently Malta has a low unemployment rate, despite the current challenges faced as a result of COVID-19, and due to this, some employers are also facing difficulties in engaging workers with the right skills.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
In its first years of implementation, the NSC highlighted three priority areas (outlined below). This has enabled the Council to remain focused in its efforts to successfully reach its objectives: (1) Bringing together the worlds of education and industry through work-based learning; (2) digital skills; and (3) Research and development with the goal to create better conditions and incentives for lifelong learners.
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
The scheme is constantly monitored, evaluated and audited in line with the procedures and guidelines provided by the European Social Fund. OPII Annual Implementation Reports shed light on running schemes - the most recent reports may be accessed from here: https://eufunds.gov.mt/en/Operational%20Programmes/Useful%20Links%20and….
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
The Council is still considered to be in an early stage of implementation, therefore no major evaluations on the Council have yet been conducted, or at least published.
No
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
The National Skills Council has definitely proved effective in bringing stakeholders together and incentivising them to work collectively, rather than individually. More needs to be done on communicating outcomes with the general public, yet this is understandable given that the Council stills seems to be finding its ground on a national level.
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
The ongoing demand exists for a multi-stakeholder Council to initiate research, discussions and actions on issues of (skills) importance. The turbulence brought about to the education and employment sector in 2020 and 2021 makes it quite probable for this level of demand to increase, leading to the prosperity of the NSC.
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