Earlier this month, the European Commission published a report entitled “Developing key competences at school in Europe”, which delves into the success of formal education in bridging the supply and demand mismatch between education curricula and the European labour market. The report presents findings on how member states are encouraging young students to further their studies in science, technology and mathematics – the skills needed in fast-growing industries such as IT and biotechnology.

Greater investment in promoting the attractiveness of science education are needed- Omar Cutajar

The report calls on education policymakers to implement policies which encourage students to tune their academic pathways to the requirements of the business world. Critically, the report highlights how several member states do not have a national strategy in place which ensures that students develop the competences that are needed by businesses. An adequate supply of skilled employees is fundamental for a thriving private sector. A more entrepreneurially-oriented education curricula is a necessity especially when industries in emerging economies pose stiffer competition for EU-based businesses through globalisation.

To tackle the lack of entrepreneurial skills, the European Commission launched its Rethinking Education strategy, which calls on member states to focus on ‘learning outcomes’ rather than just the duration of formal education. The MBB concurs with the European Commission’s recommendations on the need for Malta to tackle early school leaving and to prioritise skills-matching.

Malta is the poorest performer in terms of early school leaving, though dropouts have decreased over the last five years. The country also has one of the lowest results in terms of tertiary attainment rate, and is characterised by an imbalance in the graduate population in humanities rather than in science and technology-related subjects.

Greater investment in career guidance and in promoting the attractiveness of science education are needed to ensure that future employment demand for skills-profiles does not result in a competitive disadvantage.

It is paramount that sector-based skills needs assessments are carried out to better anticipate future labour market needs , keeping unemployment low while providing for a competent labour pool for the private and public sectors.

For more information on EU business affairs, contact the MBB at info@mbb.org.mt or visit www.mbb.org.mt.

Omar Cutajar is the Malta Business Bureau’s permanent delegate.