Living and working in mainland Europe is no longer a distant, meritocratic dream but is now brought into sharper focus thanks to the European Jobs and Mobility Fair, which opened yesterday.
Organised jointly by the European Employment Services (EURES) and the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA), the fair offers tailored information for people of all ages and educational backgrounds who want to live and work in EU countries, as well as information regarding the various educational and vocational learning programmes of the EU.
The fair, open today at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, brings together EURES advisers from different European countries to promote the work opportunities in their respective country.
The participating countries are the UK, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.
Set up in separate stalls, the trained specialists also provide information and advice about the living and working conditions of their particular country.
“Sometimes, there are certain matters which would need attending to, such as National Insurance arrangements. We would be able to direct them to the relevant department,” EURES manager Nicola Cini explained.
The EU-funded programmes promoted by the EUPA include the Lifelong Learning Programme and the Youth in Action Programme.
Parliamentary Secretary Clyde Puli yesterday presented 22 youth organisations with €519,345 in EU funds as part of the two programmes.
The Lifelong Learning Programme comprises Comenius (for schools and colleges), Erasmus (for students and scholars in higher education institutions), Leonardo da Vinci (for those involved in vocational education and training) and Grundtvig (which focuses on non-vocational adult education).
The Youth in Action Programme targets the 13 to 30 age bracket and comprises youth exchanges and initiatives, voluntary work, training and networking.
“I hope to find a job abroad in networking as I’ve not managed to find one in Malta so far,” Johann Abdilla, 22, told The Times.
“Employment opportunities in my line seem to have been drained. Moreover, employers place huge emphasis on experience, which is something you naturally won’t have when you’re straight out of university.”
Lucio Mendosa, 20, echoed Mr Abdilla.
“Employers demand experience. But to amass experience, we first need to be given the chance.”
The fair is open today from 9am until 1pm and from 3pm until 7pm.