Commentary
Vocational Education and Training (VET) - what it means for employers
Maria Pia Chircop, CEO, FHRD
Vocational Education and Training (VET), which more recently is being called Career and Technical Education (CTE), prepares individuals for careers that are non-academic but directly related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation, the latter word often used interchangeably with the word "career".
Vocational education is in most cases a form of secondary or post-secondary education, often provided by an institute of technology. Among other institutions, VET is provided in Malta by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS).
While these two institutions focus on initial education and training, the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) concentrates on the provision of continued vocational training through a number of employment and training schemes. It is also responsible for the running of apprenticeship schemes.
During these schemes, apprentices undergo both education and on-the-job training at an industrial/commercial entity. Thus they have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in the trade/vocation they are receiving tuition.
Apprenticeship schemes include the Extended Skills Training Scheme, which provides education and training at craft level, and the Technician Apprenticeship Scheme, which provides education and training at technician level.
However, it is worth emphasising that the word "skill" cannot be expressed solely through words. The core of skill required in any job is the knowledge to handle changes and problems. Mastering 'soft' or 'people' skills takes a long time and these skills are acquired only at work.
It is argued that if, for example, a production worker acquires skills and knowledge through a long-term learning process on the job, combing hard and soft skills, he is gradually able to acquire enough skills and knowledge to cope with various unexpected situations in the workshop.
In Malta, is there a deficiency in either the supply of skills or in the demand for skills?
The ETC Barometer, covering the period winter 2005 to spring 2006, shows that in Malta we have a big surplus of job seekers, exceeding market demand, in occupations like managerial, IT, clerical and administrative, technicians, service workers, gardeners, craft and related trade workers, plant operators and assemblers, and in elementary occupations.
However the ETC Barometer does not specify whether the job seekers are equipped with the core skills of coping with change and problem solving, to mention the least. At recruitment stage, interviewers look not only at qualifications but also at work experience and in certain positions these core skills are paramount.
If one had to consider the large number of graduates reading MBAs and specific degrees in management, it is not astonishing to have a surplus of jobseekers for managerial jobs. But to what extent these have the soft skills, required to be able to manage people professionally, is to be questioned.
Management is an experience and one can argue that, since it involves the incumbent's maturity and personality, there are cases where those in such positions still lack risk-taking and decision-making skills, to mention a few.
The ETC Barometer reveals shortage of jobseekers in occupations like accountants, research analysts, teaching professionals (tertiary sectors) and insurance representatives which one could categorise as highly skilled jobs, and in occupations like fast food crew members. There is a lot to debate on this. One could argue that incumbents in such occupations are happy enough to work with their present employer and hence they do not seek employment elsewhere. It can also mean that institutions are meeting the market demand in these occupations.
With the EU borders now open, highly skilled professionals are looking offshore. Data of such types of professionals leaving our islands is still weak. With regard to occupations in the fast food outlets, as in other tourist establishments, one needs to look beyond VET. Perhaps there is an urgent need to review the employment terms and conditions in this sector to solve partially such an issue.
To bridge the gap between the present and future labour market demand and supply of skills, the FHRD has felt the need to organise a conference, in collaboration with the key players, namely the ETC, MCAST and the ITS, requesting also the contribution of all stakeholders.
The aim of this conference is to provide an opportunity for all the social partners to become acquainted with the initiatives currently in place, to comment on their experiences on the VET provision in Malta and to engage in dialogue.
We encourage all employers, HR managers and training and education professionals to attend and give their contribution so that together an equilibrium can be found to meet the labour market demand.
This conference is being held on Thursday, September 28, at Hilton Malta, Portomaso. The FHRD has invited the Minister for Education, Youth and Employment, Dr Louis Galea, to make an official address.
The three keynote speakers are Joe Cutajar, senior manager, Training Services Division, within the ETC; Frank Edwards, principal and chief executive at MCAST; and Henry Mifsud, co-ordinator of Management Courses, ITS. Professor Alfred Vella, Pro-Rector of the University of Malta, will be closing this half day conference.
Sources: Wikipedia encyclopaedia, ETC, K. Koike & T. Inoki (1990), Skill Formation in Japan & South East Asia.
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