3.6 Integration of young people in the labour market
On this page
On this page
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Youth employment measures
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Flexicurity measures focusing on young people
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Reconciliation of private and working life for young people
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Funding of existing schemes/initiatives
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Quality assurance
Youth employment measures
Work-based vocational competencies are integrated into Malta’s educational and training programmes emphasising quality qualifications whilst: increasing economic competitiveness and ensuring that the skills gap between education and work is addressed, producing a skilled labour force that responds better to the labour market needs.
At the compulsory secondary education level:
The Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR) launched ‘My Journey: achieving through different paths’, a secondary school reform aiming to tackle early school leaving further and to provide a system for all learners by addressing their different learning aptitudes, intelligence and patterns.
The comprehensive and inclusive reform was introduced in the first year of secondary schooling (year 9, age 13) during the school year 2019-20. Hence, since September 2019, through the My Journey reform, secondary school students are allowed to choose from academic, vocational, and/or applied subjects in addition to the core curriculum. A national careers web portal and events such as I Choose were developed. Students and parents/guardians are guided through the subject choosing process and can access all information on the different subject options through the 3 routes.
Lower secondary learners can select options/subjects (general/academic, vocational and applied) alongside their compulsory lessons. The following nine vocational subjects and their corresponding applied ones are available:
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agribusiness, engineering technology;
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health and social care;
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hospitality;
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information technology;
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media literacy;
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hairdressing and beauty;
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retail;
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textiles and fashion.
All these subjects lead up to EQF/MQF level 3 qualification, with no dead-ends. The rationale is that vocational education supports the educational engagement of learners who may struggle with the learning pedagogy of mainstream academic subjects. The progress of learners in the vocational subjects is not assessed through formal examinations but through ongoing assessment by the subject teacher, verified internally by a second subject teacher, and evaluated by an external verifier from the national assessment board. School-based information sessions were organised for learners, their parents and teaching staff. Teachers already in service who opted to teach the new vocational and applied subjects attended ongoing professional development sessions in the learning content, vocational pedagogy and assessment procedure. in addition to the investment in human resources, the Ministry and the ESF jointly financed 78 vocational spaces, equipping them with the latest material and teaching resources.
The My Journey reform includes vocational and applied subjects as a measure to reduce early school leaving and, potentially, increase tertiary education attainment. This involves moving from a 'one size fits all' system to a more inclusive and equitable programme. The aim is to respond to different educational needs and give parity of esteem to general, vocational and applied subjects. The new system builds on the current one but ambitiously moves forward in democratising academic, vocational and applied learning for all students within a framework of parity of esteem. It retains key competencies and sustains traditional academic learning programmes. Complementarily, vocational subjects and applied learning programmes leading up to MQF Level 3, are also made available to all students and are provided within the same school and in all secondary schools. Applied learning is comparable and equivalent to academic and vocational education and is accredited up to MQF Level 3. Following compulsory education, students may opt to continue their studies at the University of Malta (UM), Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) or another higher education institution of their choice.
The introduction of equitable learning programmes enables more quality time for in-depth learning while increasing learning opportunities, eliminating dead ends and easing labour market entry. My Journey seeks to promote increased links between education and industry. Close cooperation between schools and workplaces assures the currency of subject learning outcomes (SLOs), provides real-life work environments thus warranting the assimilation of the aims of work life, establishes fruitful relationships with companies and facilitates the learning of entrepreneurship competencies. These processes contribute to their development of expertise in the occupation that cannot be simulated in a school-based environment. By offering the possibility to choose vocational and/or applied paths at the age of 12, the reform is implemented to avoid the possibility of later exclusion. In order to avoid that students may leave compulsory education not being well equipped with those key competencies that could allow later re-skilling and up-skilling, the My Journey reform also includes new learning programmes in the core subjects (Mathematics, English, Maltese and Science) targeted at students following applied programmes. In this regard, a new certification, The Secondary Education Applied Certificate (SEAC) run by the MATSEC board will certify 9 applied option subjects and 5 core subjects.
At the post-secondary education level:
In March 2018, the Work-based Learning and Apprenticeship Act came into force, providing regulations and governance and administration of accredited training programmes for work-placements, apprenticeships and internships for VET purposes.
The Work-based Learning and Apprenticeship Act strengthened work-based learning by:
• setting definitions and operational parameters for work placements, apprenticeships and internships;
• outlining responsibilities and governance structures;
• defining rights and obligations for VET providers, employers and learners;
• highlighting the role of employers as responsible learning partners;
• setting a compulsory minimum number of hours for all forms of work-based learning and linking remuneration to the minimum wage;
• using ECVET/ECTS in all forms of work-based learning;
• introducing a single EQF-based apprenticeship qualification replacing the dual certification currently in place;
• launching a training agreements register to support data collection and policy-relevant analysis by the national skills council
As Malta’s leading vocational college, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) is the VET institution responsible for governing and managing the Apprenticeship system at the national level in Malta. It has been working to raise the quality of apprenticeships so as to strike a balance between theoretical and on-the-job training and hence enable the apprentice to obtain long-term employability. The Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship Act provides regulations and governance and administration of accredited training programmes for work-placements, apprenticeships and internships for VET purposes.
Through this Act, Malta has now introduced a system where apprentices get first-hand knowledge of how the industry works, and are able to see clearly, what they would like to pursue as a career. All apprentices now can obtain the qualifications they need in the specific field chosen, while being able to put the skills they learn into practice at the same time, with the assistance of experts who are always on-hand to show them how things are done.
Furthermore, work-based learning is an essential part of the curricula at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). The ITS internship department assists students in finding work within the tourism and hospitality sector, thus helping to integrate them into the labour market.
From a public employment service perspective:
Through the Youth Guarantee 3.0, which was launched in February 2025, young people till 29 years of age who are within the NEET category can benefit from initiatives that are specifically targeted at youth. Both registered jobseekers and inactive youth can benefit from the Youth Guarantee 3.0 measures, administered by the Maltese Public Employment Service. These include the Empower YOUth, SEC Revision Classes, remedial classes and ALMA.
Empower YOUth addresses both inactive and unemployed youth till 29 years of age through an activation pathway that combines personalised support, formal and informal training and work placements. The component is divided into three phases:
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Phase 1 – Start-up Phase: Participants will engage in a group profiling session to guide the allocation of participants to further training and placements. Participants will also undergo an intensive 40-hour practical module strengthening life skills, soft skills, independent skills and cultural skills. Following completion of the startup phase, participants will have one-to-one sessions to develop personalized plans and take online digital, green and interest tests
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Phase 2 – Employer visits: A minimum of 2 visits to employer premises per group tailored to participants’ interests
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Phase 3 – Technical Training: Modular technical training programs will be offered based on participants profiling and aligned with emerging sectors identified by the ILO. Training programs include 50 hours of training and each participant is offered additional 270 hours of binary learning, online learning or work placement
Participants will be given an allowance of EUR5.54 per hour.
SEC Revision Classes will be offered free of charge to students who fail their SEC/Ordinary level exams. Students are offered five weeks of free classes (end of July – end of August) in a choice of up to three core subjects (English, Maltese, Maths, Physics or Biology) in preparation for the resits. Students between the ages of 15 and 29 years old and who achieved a mark 6, 7, U, or were absent in one of the five main subjects mentioned are eligible to apply for these classes. Additionally, Remedial Classes will target students attending MCAST who do not pass their end of year exams. The preventive classes organised between Jobsplus and MCAST help students to both close their programme thus obtaining the necessary certification or else enables them to progress to a higher level. This activity unfolds during 8 weeks between July – September.
The ALMA component will target disadvantaged young people aged 18 to 29 who are currently not engaged in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs). The project’s goal is to unlock the potential of these young people through a three-month period of engaging in non-formal training, emphasising Soft Skills, Independence Skills, and Life Skills and a two-month work placement in a European Union country. This comprehensive approach aims to prepare participants for a journey of personal and professional growth, focused on holistic development. Participants of the ALMA mobility scheme will undergo two sessions of profiling tests to ensure they are prepared for mobility. Pre-mobility training is designed to equip participants with necessary skills and knowledge to prepare them for the mobility experience.
NEETs will be contacted through mail shots, telephone calls or email to encourage them to engage in the Youth Guarantee. This communication will be occurring regularly following lists of students dropouts received by Educational institutions, and joint exercises with the Department of Social Security. The aim of the latter is to approach those beneficiaries of allowances who are able to work but currently are inactive. Each invitation will be sent together with an application form. To increase the engagement rate for NEETs, social media campaigns across the Youth Guarantee Facebook and X pages, newspaper and YouTube channels and radio advertisements will be in conjunction with the invitation to increase visibility and participation.
Moreover, unemployed registered youths with Jobsplus who are assigned an employment advisor are referred to the Youth Guarantee 3.0 initiative which corresponds to their needs. The Youth Guarantee administrators have enhanced their outreach mechanisms to minimise the numbers of youths neither in education nor in employment. As such, the Youth Guarantee Unit has substantially increased in outreach activities, ranging from informative sessions with educators and psychosocial teams to full-blown national events such as the ‘I Choose’ fair which sees the participation of Malta and Gozo’s entire school-leaving cohort. At every school-based or nation-wide educational event attended, participants are given the opportunity to engage in focus-group style motivational sessions with the team.
The Work Exposure Scheme is intended to facilitate transition into employment by providing jobseekers with initial hands-on training to help individuals obtain the knowledge, skills and competencies required to find and retain employment. This scheme is designed to meet contemporary labour market demand, whereby the job preferences of the jobseekers are matched with employers’ requests. The Work Exposure Scheme being offered under the Training for Employment Project until December 2029 offers two streams of applicants - (1) for mainstream clients that are of working age, not in employment and not attending at a higher education institute; and (2) summer students. For the former there will be an open call, while for summer students, application will open for a limited period and there will be a call per year for the whole duration of the project.
The duration of WES training allowance vary depending on the chosen occupation. For occupations falling under the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) groups 3 to 5, the duration is 280 hours and the training allowance is Eur7.50/hour. For ISCO groups 6 to 9, the duration is 200 hours and the pay rate is set at minimum wage.
Summer students need to be aged between 17 and 24 and preference will be given to placements linked with their line of studies. The scheme duration is 200 hours, and summer students will receive a training allowance of Eur7.50 per hour. Eligible occupations to choose from fall under ISCO groups 3 to 5.
Additionally, Jobsplus relaunched the Access to Employment (A2E) scheme in 2023. The Access to Employment Scheme provides a wage subsidy to employers to promote the engagement of vulnerable jobseekers including persons with registered disabilities in the labour market. This scheme facilitates the integration of jobseekers and inactive people in the labour market by enhancing opportunities to access the labour market and providing work experience to those furthest away from gainful occupation; bridging the gap between labour market supply and demand; and increasing social cohesion. The scheme provides financial assistance to employers for up to 52 weeks when engaging any unemployed person aged 15 to 24, who previously participated in and completed a Jobsplus Scheme and is recruited for the first-time following completion of such initiatives. An employer who engages a person who is a registered disabled person under national law may be entitled to 156 weeks of subsidy.
In addition to the above-mentioned schemes, jobseekers requiring additional support to successfully follow a scheme or retain employment can be referred by their Employment Advisor to 1to90 mentoring. The request for a mentor’s assistance takes place once potential issues are identified either during the client's initial profiling or subsequent reviews.
The 1to90 is a new service under the ESF.02.223 VASTE II which combines the client undergoing an initial self-awareness assessment following by mentoring sessions.
There are other cases whereby the client would be following a scheme and either the trainer, or the course co-ordinator, the client himself, or any other professional such as a Youth/ Social worker identify the need of a mentor and thus the mentor will initiate the Self-Assessment. This is one of the tools that the mentor uses to be able to build a relationship and establish a way forward how to help the client to overcome the obstacles hindering employment. Eventually, the client can also point out what kind of job s/he is looking for, and suitability is assessed either through the mentoring session itself or through any of the schemes mentioned above.
The mentor can intervene at different stages of the case, depending on when the need for this additional support is identified. The mentor can also refer to other professionals, such as social workers, psychologists or psychiatrists, when deemed necessary.
The mentor may also liaise with the employer during the placement, if need be even once the client is employed, to focus on employment retention. Thus, the mentor continues to monitor the individual, so if a problem arises, such mentor can intervene with the aim of ensuring the client's employability and retention in the open labour market.
Malta places a lot of effort into encouraging individuals to register and apply for the initiatives that target their needs. The NEET Census in 2015 was an outreach project to ensure that all future initiatives concerning youths reflect their needs. The NEET Census targeted the identification of youths who are neither in employment, education or training and to analyse through one-to-one interviews their needs, aspirations and the challenges they faced. The questionnaire covered several topics including personal information and social demographics, education and training, work experience and interests, feedback on their choice to dismiss the Youth Guarantee and suggestions on how youths who are detached from the labour market and the education spectrum can be motivated to participate in the scheme. Such a close intervention provides insight into the young persons’ perception of Government intervention and the awareness of Government programmes.
The Council recommendation on a Reinforced Youth Guarantee of 2022, stressed the importance of mapping and extending the Youth Guarantee Initiative to young people aged 15-29 years old. This led to a second cycle of NEETs census which took place in Q3 2023. The second NEET Census, which now included individuals up till the age of 29 years, took place to understand the diverse needs, trends and challenges faced by NEETs to provide them with the necessary support. The census research was split in two parts. First, through administrative data, Jobsplus was able to extract information related to previous employment including self-employment, Nace code, length of inactivity, disability, receipt and type of social benefits. The second part saw the dissemination of the actual questionnaire through which information on the needs, trends and challenges of NEETs was gathered. The aim of this research project was to provide a clear picture of Maltese youths aged between 16 and 29 who are not engaged in any formal employment, education or training (NEET). For the purposes of this project, special care was taken to develop a questionnaire that drew from instruments which had been successfully applied in similar research exercises abroad. The instrument was designed and tailored for the particularities of the local Maltese context and more specifically for the NEET group.
Flexicurity measures focusing on young people
Currently, no flexicurity measures are focusing on young people.
Reconciliation of private and working life for young people
The regulations set out by Subsidiary Legislation 452.92 entitled 'Young Persons (Employment) Regulations', seek to protect young workers in employment. Young Persons include ‘children’ still of compulsory school age (have not finished compulsory schooling or are below the age of sixteen) and those between the compulsory school age and under eighteen years, known as ‘adolescents’. Protection is higher when it concerns children in employment.
Adolescents
The working conditions indicated below must be observed by the employer when employing an adolescent:
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The working time during the day should not be longer than 8 hours;
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The weekly working time should not exceed 40 hours. This applies (cumulatively) even if the work is divided into more than one job;
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No work is to be carried out during the night, that is, the period between ten o'clock in the evening and six o’clock in the morning, unless there is a justification that merits an exemption. There may be exemptions in the sectors of shipping or fishing, hospitals or similar institutions and in cultural, artistic, sports or advertising activities, if there are objective reasons;
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The break during the workday must be at least 30 minutes after four and a half hours work;
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The daily rest (between one working day and another) should be not less than 12 consecutive hours;
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The working schedule must also include weekly rest of two days, possibly being consecutive, and that in principle to include a Sunday.
Furthermore, the employer should:
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Ask for a birth certificate before employing an adolescent person;
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Obtain the written permission of at least one of the adolescent’s parent before employing the adolescent;
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In the absence of a signed contract of employment, the employer must, within 8 working days, give to the employee a statement signed by the them, including the conditions of employment agreed with the employee;
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Keep records which include details of the adolescent person, such as name, date of birth, working time and wage, for at least 3 years.
Children
The regulations and working conditions that apply to employment of young persons are more protective in respect of work by children. Work includes any activity that can be either paid or for free.
Before employing a child still of compulsory school age, the employer requires an authorisation issued by the Director General, Educational Services and the Director of Employment and Industrial Relations (DIER). A request for authorisation may only be considered if the proposed light work is not dangerous to the health or harmful to child development.
In this respect it must be ensured that:
The employer has carried out a risk assessment to confirm that the work is not dangerous for the minor, and the Director General, Educational Services finds no objection from the educational aspect.
An eform entitled Request for School Exemption and Authorisation for Employment of Minors is submitted. The form needs to be filled in by the parents or legal guardians and the employer, and presented by one of the parents or legal guardians at the School or at the Social Work Service, National School Support Services. If the minor does not have a Maltese Citizenship, a copy of the Birth Certificate needs to be presented.
A request for authorization should only be sought for children under fourteen years of age where it is linked to employment in cultural, artistic, sports or advertising activities and for children of fourteen and fifteen years of age even when performing light work which may be in other activities. Applications for other types of work by minors will not be entertained.
When an authorisation to employ a child is issued, the employer should seek to observe the conditions attached to such permission.
The minimum conditions of employment for minors as established in the law, include:
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Limits of the daily working hours of not more than 8 hours;
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Limits of the weekly working hours of not more than 40 hours. This applies (cumulatively) even if the work is divided into more than one job;
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Can not be employed during the night, in the period between eight o’clock in the evening and six o’clock in the morning;
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A break of at least 30 minutes after four and a half hours of work; Daily rest (between one working day and another) of not less than 14 consecutive hours;
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Weekly rest of two consecutive days, one of which is a Sunday;
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A minimum aggregate of 21 days without work during the school holidays.
The same as in the case of adolescents, the employer should ensure to:
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Ask for a birth certificate before employing a child;
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And prior to employment, obtain the written consent from a parent of the child;
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In the absence of a signed contract of employment, the employer must, within 8 working days, give to the employee a statement signed by him/her, including the conditions of employment agreed with the employee;
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Keep records that include details of the minor, such as name, date of birth, working time and wage, for at least 3 years.
Funding of existing schemes/initiatives
Initiatives targeted at young people are funded through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and other national funds. The Youth Guarantee 3.0 is funded by the European Social Fund+, with a budget of EUR 9,680,649.90.
Moreover, the training allowance payable to participants under the Work Exposure Scheme and the Traineeship Scheme will be part-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The co-financing rate is set at 60% through EU and 40% through the National Funds. For these two schemes, which form part of ESF+.01.195 – Training for Employment Project, the prospective budget allocation is of €4,413,264.00 and €797,625.00 respectively. This budget will cover the period from 2025 till 2029.
Quality assurance
The Maltese Public Employment Service is responsible for the monitoring of all initiatives falling within the Youth Guarantee framework. The data gathered is subdivided in three levels:
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Information on participants;
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Duration of intervention;
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Follow-up.
To supplement this data, a number of evaluation exercises are carried out. These include exit questionnaires and feedback from professionals intervening with youth and employers involved in the work exposure and/or traineeship phase. Programmes are assessed by Malta's Public Employment Service. During the work exposure and traineeship monitoring visits feedback from the trainee and employer is sought to gather additional information on their experience throughout the scheme. During the off-the-job training, quality visits are performed to ensure that the delivery of the off-the-job training is in accordance with the course; the trainer is using different delivery methodologies to meet the needs of all trainees, and the tools and facilities used by trainers to deliver the course are in line with the standards established by Malta's Public Employment Service.
To ensure the effectiveness of the training being given to trainees by employers, each trainee is visited at least once for the Work Exposure Scheme by Malta's Public Employment Service (Jobsplus) and Monitoring Officers. During the on-the-spot check, Monitoring Officers are assisted through a checklist to ensure the publicity material is adequately displayed in a prominent place, that the employer has retained copies of documentation, documentation is complete, and that the tasks being assigned are in line with the agreement. Monitoring Officers attach photographic evidence of the publicity material as displayed, as well as photographic evidence of the participant’s presence to the first checklist, while in subsequent visits, attach only the participant’s photo on the day, while ensuring that the publicity material is still present, recording the same on the checklist. The employer and participant are questioned about the progress up to that point. Under the new Work Exposure Scheme and Traineeships Scheme, monitoring officers will also be seeking feedback on the competences being acquired during the scheme. Answers are recorded on the checklist, and feedback to project implementation staff at the Maltese Public Employment Service, Jobsplus, is provided as and where necessary. During the visits, Monitoring Officers also ask questions about the placement to ensure that the exposure offered aligns with what the employer originally promised through its application. In those instances, where it is deemed that the quality of exposure provided is not up to the required standard, Jobsplus reserves the right to terminate the placement and to find an alternative placement for the trainee.
The scheme's impact is measured by assessing the employment status of the trainee within six months following the end date of the scheme.
Following the experience gained in implementing these schemes and the feedback received from the Monitoring Officers, Jobsplus implements changes to the scheme. Moreover, the Maltese Public Employment Service, Jobsplus, closely monitors the uptake of the schemes and the employment prospects employers offer. To this end, Jobsplus incorporated further checks to limit the potential abuse by employers (for example: the number of trainees enrolled with an employer depends on the number of employees). In addition, for every placement, Jobsplus agrees with the employer and the trainee to enlist the roles and responsibilities of each party.