Major changes planned for ETC
by Steve Chetcuti
Major changes are in the pipeline at the Employment and Training Corporation which is currently undergoing an operations review with the help of Irish consultants.
A 16-week programme being carried out with FAS International Consulting (Ireland), has been prepared to outline the operations at the corporation.
The review will eventually lead to a Human Resources development strategy to be used by the ETC to establish a three-year business plan.
Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the review would be a "quality jump" for the corporation which will be promoted from a facility which aids and trains people seeking employment to a "catalyst of change within the labour market".
He said the government's intention was further development of the human resources in the country.
Dr Gonzi said the ETC had to be viewed in the light of the economic realities of the day and an analytical approach to the labour market showed various deficiencies which needed addressing.
"We have seen a growing mismatch in the needs of the market and the skills available on the market, particularly in the Information technology section," the minister said.
Restructuring and modernisation in the country had also contributed towards the need for this review, Dr Gonzi said.
He said the analytical approach to unemployment figures highlighted a number of issues, namely the increasingly evident lack of an adequate infrastructure to address vocational needs and the going number of long-term unemployed, and the need for better re-training programmes.
Other highlights included the frequent cases of illiteracy among the current work-force, the absence of a National Vocational Qualification structure to enable certification and recognition of skills, the increasing entry of women and part-timers into the labour supply and the need to address training services and employment schemes to support disadvantaged groups such as the disabled.
Dr Gonzi said the corporation would not provide people with work, but would itself work with social partners to help create the ideal circumstances for new opportunities.
Like the ETC, FAS is responsible for the provision of employment and vocational training services. Both organisations are state agencies governed by tripartite boards who report to government ministers.
FAS International Consulting (Ireland) is a subsidiary of the main organisation which offers international services to equivalent organisations in Greece and Portugal to prepare for EU membership.
Preparations for Ireland's entry to the union in 1973 was also prepared by FAS.
Dr Gonzi said the consultancy would cost Lm32,000, part of which would be funded by the Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprise through EU funding.
Sean MacLoinnsigh, a former Irish senior civil servant and expert in the employment field, was the first of eight specialists to arrive in Malta to work on the operations review.
"This is a very important project for Malta. For the time being we are carrying out an overview of the situation in the country and we will then set up the framework for the development of the HR strategy," Mr MacLoinnsigh said.
The Irish organisation will have the role of setting up the review following the Employment Guidelines 2000. FAS will assist the government and ETC in the development of a national HR policy and strategy which complements and supports the national economic policy and strategy.
The ETC operations and services provided will also be upgraded through more effective use of IT, while an in-house market research section will also be developed to allow proper monitoring of labour market trends.
The Irish organisation will also help the corporation to develop employment strategies enabling it to face the challenges posed by a re-structured economy, to design and implement initiatives to increase employment opportunities for youths, over 40s and disadvantaged groups. Equal job opportunities between sexes and community employment schemes would also be promoted.
The ETC chairman Robert Tufigno said a three-year business plan would then be set up following the operations review and HR strategy. He said the services provided by the corporation would also be reviewed.
The chairman said the business review would be carried out parallel to the education ministry in an on-going process.
Dr Tufigno said FAS was chosen because of its experience in the field and cooperation with other agencies similar to the ETC in countries which were in the applicant stages to join the EU.
He said this would also prove useful in preparation for Malta's eventual membership with the union.
Dr Tufigno said funding for similar projects was and would continue to be made available throughout the EU's European Social Fund and other programmes.
He said a network of employment agencies was also on the cards in the future and the ETC would form part of such a unit.
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