Lifelong Learning for All at Jobsplus in Malta

Many think of Jobsplus, Malta’s public employment corporation, as the place to go when seeking employment. However, training is as integral a part of Jobsplus’ remit as its employment services.

“Our aim is to assist job seekers, and those already employed but looking to change jobs, by facilitating their entry or re-entry into the labour market,” explains Mariella Vella, Department Manager of Jobsplus’ Training Services Unit.

“That’s why we offer training: to increase a person’s employability and to help all job seekers find work. Our clients are quite varied, ranging from individuals who can’t read and write to university graduates, so we offer a variety of services to match our clients’ needs, including courses and schemes.” Among such initiatives are those which provide work exposure or work placement, as well as others that offer a financial grant for courses not offered by Jobsplus.

Who is eligible to join courses at Jobsplus?

One of Jobsplus’ fundamental principles is to assist whoever needs the corporation’s help, regardless of employment status. “Our courses are for the employed and unemployed alike,” says Ms Vella.

“Most of Jobsplus’ courses are accredited and offered free of charge. Some courses have specific entry requirements but, in general, our philosophy is to keep such prerequisites minimal to give as many opportunities as possible to early school leavers, women returning to the workforce, and others who shouldn’t be unnecessarily barred from following a programme that could lead to a new job or change in occupation.”

Which courses are offered at Jobsplus?

The list of courses provided at any given time is a long and varied one. “Since Jobsplus is a public employment corporation, our main responsibility is to stay in tune with what employers really need,” explains Jean Pierre Meilaq, Unit Manager Training Coordination.

“At Jobsplus, we seek feedback on what is really required and offer courses according to current demand. This means that our list of courses changes according to the labour market’s needs.

“Our officers gauge what courses are needed through personal contact with employers, whom they meet every day in person or online. And they don't just ask about training needs; they also inform employers about all of our services that they might find helpful.”

Ms Vella adds that the board members at Jobsplus represent various stakeholders and can therefore provide the corporation with valuable feedback, which it then uses to create those specific courses in demand by the labour market.

What do employers stand to gain?

Apart from offering courses to individuals seeking to better their employability, Jobsplus also works with employers wishing to provide courses to their own employees. When the employer has the required facilities, Jobsplus delivers courses on the employer’s premises to make course attendance and logistics as straightforward as possible. However, if that is not the case, courses are still offered at Jobsplus’ training centre in Hal Far, Malta.

Overcoming daily challenges at Jobsplus

As for most other operations, the 2020–2021 period has presented a multitude of challenges for Jobsplus. “Now more than ever before, our philosophy is to transform challenges into opportunities,” says Ms Vella.

“When COVID-19 hit, we had to shift from classroom to online training practically overnight, which was a challenge in itself. However, we are used to dealing with different obstacles on a daily basis. Because of the nature of our work, there are instances where Jobsplus’ employees must make an extra effort to help people who are desperate to find employment. At these times, we have to evaluate which service would best suit such individuals. For example, perhaps a scheme may be more suitable than a course to potentially fast track their entry into the labour market.”

There is also the fact that different clients have different priorities. Some might be unwilling to put in the work needed, while others are reluctant to wait even a few days.

“We are very customer-centric, so we do our best to accommodate everyone,” explains Mr Meilaq. “We try our utmost to make our training sessions as accessible as possible. We offer all courses free of charge, along with free transport to the training centre for those who need it. And we also adjust lesson times to suit our clients’ availability.

“However, we also need to coordinate with our training staff, who work on a casual, part-time basis, fitting in our work around their main occupation. Lots of logistics are involved.” And Ms Vella adds that, despite their efforts to increase the corporation’s pool of trainers, their availability is not always predictable – but a solution is always found at Jobsplus.

A promise of training for all

Whether a client is Maltese or foreign, highly educated or an early school leaver, employed or seeking a job, Jobsplus offers the training, guidance and support each individual needs to fulfil their potential in an increasingly competitive job market.

For more information about Jobsplus’ training opportunities, visit https://jobsplus.gov.mt/courses/all-course-list or email training.jobsplus@gov.mt.

Biography of interviewees

Jean Pierre Meilaq – Unit Manager Training Coordination

With over 2 decades of experience in the training field, Jean Pierre joined the Employment & Training Corporation (ETC) in 2001. For the first 14 years he worked within the apprenticeship unit. His duties and responsibilities within this Unit enabled him to be directly involved in apprenticeships programmes set-up and framework. Such involvement in the vocational training area entailed close collaboration with several employers and associations representing enterprises and industries. For these last 7 years Jean Pierre has been responsible for the coordination aspect of Jobsplus courses, training schemes co-financed by the European Social Fund and the trade testing system.

Mariella Vella – Department Manager Training Services

Mariella Vella has 18 years of experience in the employment and training sector, 10 of which managing ESF projects. Having worked on various research projects in the first six years of her career, she took over the management of the Training Aid Framework, an EU funded state aid scheme that offered financial assistance to employers to train their employees.  She solved difficulties and bottlenecks in the reimbursement process, thus eliminating the main source of complaints.  In 2012, she was responsible for obtaining accreditation of Jobsplus’ homegrown courses and the setting up of the Corporation’s quality standards for training as well as leading various EU funded projects related to upskilling.  In 2014, she assumed the role of Department Manager Training Services, which covers all aspects of training from design stage to implementation to quality assurance.