Employment and Training Corporation Employment Services Division acting senior manager at the Raphael Scerri, and ETC Training Services Division senior manager Joseph Cutajar speak to Alexander Muscat Azzopardi, on the role of Malta's Public Employment Service.
At Any one time, in Malta, there are around 7,000 ETC-registered unemployed people. This figure has been rather static for quite a while now, despite seasonal shifts. This, however, does not mean that the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) is not finding employment. Over 3,000 jobs were found by the ETC alone during the last financial year.
ETC's training services aim to enhance career prospects (getting a raise or promotion), whereas their employment services try to provide knowledge and skills for gainful employment.
The ETC is currently conducting an in-depth profiling exercise with all the unemployed. The aim of this exercise is to give an analysis of all the registered unemployed. In the near future, the ETC will publish its findings and proposals.
The unemployed are split mainly into three overlapping categories: youths, 25 and over, and over 40s. In these categories there is a good percentage of unskilled and illiterate persons.
The corporation has a specific section for persons with disabilities, social cases and also a unit for VLTUs (Very Long Term Unemployed), people who have been registering unemployed for over five years.
The ETC Training Services Division collaborates with many educational and training institutions, private and public, including MCAST (the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology) and ITS (the Institute of Tourism Studies) to provide training for the unemployed.
In cases of foreseen mass redundancies the ETC collaborates with trade unions through its intervention unit. This unit can offer its services if the company notifies the corporation with the planned redundancies as early as possible.
The ETC has various potential solutions to unemployment, and tries to advise people as to the best solution to not only gain, but ideally retain employment and possibly advance within their career. There are all sorts of courses offered, as well as training in certain cases, and all are free for the unemployed.
Courses are also offered to the employed to improve their current standing, improving their employability. Courses for those in employment are at a nominal fee, while those for the unemployed are generally free or involve a refundable commitment fee.
There are courses offered in IT-related subjects, ranging from one-day, six-hour programmes to ten-day, 20-hour courses, covering most areas of IT.
The list of courses would be too long to publish, but includes office-related, trade, basic skills, business management and more, as well as technical, advanced technical and management and development courses at the night institute. It is advisable to log on to www.etc. org.mt.
In its entrepreneurship programme ETC offers a small grant, as well as advice on how best to invest their funds, advertise and generally manage their company.
One of the common problems among unemployed youth is that employers often want to recruit people with experience, apart from academic qualifications. If someone does not have any experience they could very well be refused a job based on their lack of experience, leading to a vicious cycle of unemployment.
The ETC has the Job Experience Scheme (JES) for young registrants which give them an opportunity for a 20-hour weekly work exposure and a small travelling expense grant, while the employer incurs no expence.
ETC's Employment Training Placement Scheme (ETPS) encourages companies to offer on-the-job training to over 40s or long-term unemployed while it provides employers with 50 per cent of the minimum wage, while a project will not last more than 52 weeks.
TEES (Training and Employment Exposure Scheme) is another scheme to train and give work experience to people aged over 40. An employer who gives a six-month work experience to, and subsequently employs, a TEES client receives a subsidy for the wage being paid to the client for the subsequent three years after the finish of TEES' one-year term. This scheme will be launched next year. Seventy five per cent of the funds will be provided by the European Social Fund.
Employers
Employers can place their vacancies with ETC by fax (2220-1812) or e-mail (vacancies@etc.org.mt) or phone 2220-1221 between Monday and Friday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) for further advice. Vacancies will also be included on the Corporation's Website.
Job Centres
These are a central ground where employers and the unemployed can meet virtually. Vacancies are announced, while employers are informed of the schemes available. Unemployed can register at the various job centres, not just at the main premises in Hal Far.
The job centres are in Valletta (Zachary Street. Tel: 2124-9531/2/3/4. Fax 2124-7283. E-mail valletta@etc.org.mt), Mosta (St Anne Street. Tel: 2142-1286/7. Fax: 2142-1288. mosta@etc. org.mt), Vittoriosa (Access Complex, St Edward Street. Tel: 2180-9549/50. Fax: 2180-9573. cottonera@etc.org.mt) or in Rabat, Gozo (St Francis Square. Tel: 2155-6086. Fax: 2156-5172. rabat@etc.org.mt).
Openining hours are between 8.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and from 2 to 5.45 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during winter (October 1 to June 15) and from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday during summer.
At the Gozo centre, opening hours are 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 1.15 to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday in winter and from 7.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in summer.
Freephone numbers
Recently the ETC introduced two freephone numbers. Clients can obtain job vacancies from home by dialling 8007-6500, during working hours. The Law Compliance Unit can be contacted on 8007-6501 to report persons working illegally. The law compliance team will then investigate.