At its first Board meeting since the appointment of the new ETC Board, the new Directors were welcomed by the Minister for Social Policy John Dalli. The Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, was also invited to the Board meeting, as was His Excellency, the Bishop of Gozo, Mgr. Mario Grech. The key theme of this first Board meeting was to identify issues, trends and opportunities, particularly with a view to strengthening employment and training services in Gozo.
John Dalli, Minister for Social Policy thanked ETC officials for the initiative to hold the first ETC board meeting in Gozo as such initiative shows the government’s efforts in favour of social and economic growth in Gozo. Minister Dalli stated that the labour market in Gozo is facing a number of challenges which are different from Malta and hence has to be addressed exclusively.
Minister Dalli said that the government has to concentrate in creating jobs for Gozitans. He added that we need to resolve the problem of connectivity, focus more on the services sector and attract more high value-added investment. Hence, ETC’s main priority in the coming years should be the training and re-skilling of workers.
Minister Dalli said that the views of jobs for Gozitans should be broadened to include jobs in Malta. He said that we need to focus on training to include people presently employed to create the skills capacity in the enterprises of the future that would give Gozo a competitive advantage to attract new investment. Minister Dalli said that ETC should have a detailed database of a potential workforce which would be helpful in establishing training programmes which would lead to eventual employment promotion and job creation.
The Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, praised the new ETC Board’s initiative to hold its first meeting in Gozo. The economic development of Gozo undergoes particular challenges which are different from those existing in Malta due to the double insularity of the smaller island. The Ministry for Gozo continually endeavours to address these challenges by constantly supporting and heeding the suggestions forthcoming from the stakeholders involved. The Minister remarked that together with ETC and Malta Enterprise, Government resolves to achieve better results in meeting the demands of the labour market in Gozo. Besides addressing present needs in this regard, the Ministry for Gozo also endeavours to increase awareness and provide assistance within the educational sector, in order that Gozitan students may be better guided to choose career paths which conform with Gozo’s particular needs within its labour market.
In Gozo, ETC offers similar employment and training services as it does in Malta. This is done through a main office in Xewkija and a Job Centre in Victoria. Earlier this year, ETC re-opened this Job Centre after extensive construction and embellishment works were carried out to enlarge and equip it to provide the best possible service to clients.
The Job Centre receives information on job vacancies from employers and makes this available to jobseekers. Those seeking employment are assisted in their job search, through personal advice and an easy-to-use touch screen computer. This computer provides information on vacancies in Malta and Gozo and well as in European member states. Jobseekers are also informed about training programmes offered by ETC and other training institutions. The Job Centre may be used by employers to hold recruitment days, which are promoted by ETC in the media.
In addition to its mainstream services, ETC Gozo has also been central to the implementation of structural fund projects in Gozo under the 2004-2006 European Social Fund. Since 2007, ETC has – together with Malta Enterprise – implemented a scheme for companies in Gozo which recruit unemployed persons in certain categories. This scheme offers a subsidy of half the wage and half the employer’s national insurance for a period of one year. To date, 59 companies in Gozo have participated in the scheme, which enabled the recruitment of 69 females and 82 males. These companies are benefiting from a subsidy of €724,240.80.
Labour trends in Gozo, as well as these initiatives and others, were presented during the Board meeting which was attended by H. E. the Bishop of Gozo, Mgr. Mario Grech. Mgr. Grech recalled his first visit to ETC in Gozo in May 2006 where he met all the Corporation’s management and staff at the ETC offices in Xewkija. The Bishop thanked the Board of Directors, management and staff of the Corporation for the constructive work they are doing with workers and employers in Gozo.
The new ETC Board was appointed in June and is headed by Dr Sandra Sladden as Chairperson and Frank Zammit as Deputy Chairperson. The Board members are Philo Meli, Joseph Camilleri, Louis Cuschieri, Marvic Attard, Michael Mercieca, Joe Farrugia, George Galea, James Pearsall, and Greta Bugeja.