13 - 19 July 2000

The ETC finds its role in a changing labour market

by a staff reporter

Employers, trade unionists, educators and a variety of other persons who in one way or another have an interest in providing a working force mix essential to expand the economy in the face of change found much common ground during informal and formal discussions held around the Employment Training Corporation's Clients' second forum held at Hal Far last Friday.

The Clients' Forum, which was experimented with by the ETC earlier this year, will now become a regular feature offering a practical opportunity to monitor changes and developments in the work force.

Dr Robert Tufigno, chairman of the ETC, said his corporation was not there to change the economy. It was there primarily but not exclusively to help unemployed people to find a job, ideally combining the skills and aspirations of both job seekers as well as job-providers. An equally important role of the ETC is to help people, even those who have a job, to polish or upgrade their skills to improve their position and as well as their prospects for promotion or job mobility. Among the new programmes to reach this aim is the introduction of new IT courses in part fulfilment of the National IT Plan.

During the second Clients Forum, John Camilleri, chief executive of the ETC focused on those who are over 45 and are unemployed. These totalled around 1,858 (1653 men and 204 women) as at the end of May.

The ETC has in the meantime launched a traineeship programme for people in employment seeking to upgrade skills as well as to others seeking the first or other jobs. The traineeship scheme was explained by Felix Borg, deputy chairman of the ETC. It includes ETC subsidies, on and off the job upgrading courses and the issuing of certificates in a world where employers seek both experience and certified abilities.

ETC executives made it clear that they were careful not to overlap with what was being provided by the educational system, which will shortly have a Vocational College, nor with any other institutions or indeed firms. The idea is to bridge gaps created by variety of reasons including young and old people who are unskilled and/or illiterate. Restructuring and social developments also require programmes which the ETC is already providing or in the process of doing so. A number of women, for example, are returning to work since their off-spring no longer require the mother's full-time presence at home. The work environment has in most cases changed even in the jobs they used to have and the ETC is helping such persons. The same can be said for people who have jobs but where methods, tools and skills are constantly changing.

The new team heading the ETC is also putting emphasis on the solidarity aspect and among their priorities are programmes for disabled persons, others who found themselves as single parents, former drug addicts and ex-convicts.

Since time immemorial the labour force in the construction industry used to be a barometer of the nation's economic pace. With the construction of the next phase of the new hospital, the Cottonera project, the Manoel Island Tigne project and the Valletta entrance development, many in the industry are saying that they are not finding enough workers. Although the construction industry is not a physically comfortable job, modern equipment has vastly reduced the hardship. But there are also new methods and ancillary work which require a higher skilled workforce.

A range of large, medium sized and small industries have gaps in middle management posts. There are also a number of chicken and egg situations where employers require both experience and certified employees. A good number of people have only one of the two requisites and this is one of several areas which the ETC is endeavouring to help people link the two requirements.

Economic and social changes are in several fields generating a need for part-time and casual work. Apart from training and up-grading skills, a number of regulations hinder viable employment opportunities. Changes in legislation or employment regulations are required to give both employees and workers those conditions of mutual benefit.

There are thousands of people who are too young to retire but who have already been working for 20 years or more and whose job security depends on upgrading skills or changing jobs. The educational, technical and psychological efforts required by these persons are also understood by the ETC. This aspect should not be entirely in the brief of the ETC but the corporation feels responsible to act where others do not.

The ETC has a long brief which is however essential to individuals and society as a whole. It has to identify problems and opportunities and seek, alongside with the social partners, NGOs, and others, those moves which finally help to put together the great jigsaw puzzle of employment.