EU Initiatives, schemes and funds related to Youth Employment. Foreword. Report Outline. KSU Feedback Report to Ministry of Education and Employment

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1 EU Initiatives, schemes and funds related to Youth Employment KSU Feedback Report to Ministry of Education and Employment Foreword The KSU Executive has held a consultation meeting with Minister for Education and Employment Hon. Evarist Bartolo. Amongst many important points of discussion, the Minister asked for the student body s support and opinion with regards to a report his Ministry had compiled. This report consisted of excerpts compiled as background information about the theme of EU Initiatives, schemes and Funds related to Youth Employment. The Minister, as reported in media, is also fervent to promote learning on the-job and link job experience to academic formation. In such a context the Minister asked KSU to formulate suggestions in the following areas: Ways and means how the EU initiatives, schemes and funds may be transposed for the benefit of Maltese Society. Current practice at University Faculties/Institutes/Centres as regards opportunities to students for employment experience. Ways and means how work experience may be incorporated within the academic formation Report Outline The report is structured as a compilation of EU programmes which may boost youth employment by increasing youth employability. This background information report consisted from a number of press releases/communications/and reports from the EU council, commission and

2 various working groups. The following is a list of initiatives, schemes or funds, which are outlined in this background information report: Youth Guarantee Scheme Youth Employment Initiative ERASMUS For All Entrepreneurship 2020 EURES All the above mentioned programmes exhibit features which are included purposefully to promote employability amongst students. Further to this, one of the objectives is to create further job opportunities in the job market Bridging the gap between education and employment Youth Employability There are multiple factors which contribute to youth employability, and as such, these should be focus areas when designing improvement in educational institutions in Malta. These factors should be also considered when the in the establishment educational policies and relevant youth policies. These factors can also be supported by the initiatives, schemes and funds mentioned above. The following factors are to potentially drive employability of students and general youth: Sound academic formation/vocational training Educational Qualifications Training in Soft Skills (e.g. communication, teamwork, leadership) Extracurricular Involvement (e.g. volunteering, sports) Active Participation in civil society (e.g. student organisations, youth organisations) Experience in education/work/training in foreign countries

3 Previous work experience (especially job experience related to academic qualifications) Entrepreneurship skills and experiences Non-Formal Learning Experiences (e.g. focus groups, workshops, youth initiatives and projects) One-time participation in professional events (e.g. conferences, symposia) Lifelong learning continuous professional development. Work experience in Academic Programmes The University of Malta also needs to be attentive to a number of factors which enhance youth employability. This can be engaged together with support from government entities. As students, we note that work experience and academic formation are still not promoted strongly enough by University. This section will be identifying the current practices where work placement/internship programmes exist or are facilitated. This study of current practices identifies also a number of gaps. Faculty of Arts The Faculty of Arts offers an extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including a large number of subjects amongst languages and humanities. This means that the opportunities for work experience related initiatives can be multiple due to the different areas. Some relevant courses do have fieldwork but these do not provide experience of the work environment. These courses typically have a number of optional study units which present opportunity that related hands-on experience is implemented through them. Faculty for the Built Environment This Faculty does not offer apprenticeship/placement programmes to students. This is requested for by students given the practical nature of an architects work. Students who seek an opportunity with an established professional do so from their own initiative without assistance from

4 University. Even though the course content is highly practical, there is a lack of experience of the work environment Faculty of Dental Surgery Dental professionals require extensive hands-on experience to achieve manual dexterity. This is invested in students given that they are engaged in placements in dental clinics where they achieve the required experience. Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy Student influx in this faculty is already very pronounced and is increasing year by year. The number of students which find an opportunity of relevant employment is attractive however this is only due to proactive companies which reach out to students. The Faculty administration does not drive or administers the opportunities with which the students achieve this work experience. The financial services sector is thriving and this reflects the outreach from commercial institutions to students. Faculty of Education The faculty of education ensures that each student carries out teaching practice modules throughout each year in order to prepare themselves in becoming educators. This is part and parcel of the academic programmes and therefore ensures a holistic formation of students. Such teaching practice ensures a learning process which is achieved in the work environment Faculty of Engineering Engineering represents another theoretical and practical profession which has no sort of work experience related initiative embedded in the academic programme at UoM. A workshop is offered after the first year where students engage themselves in basic engineering skills at MCAST, where one must note that this is not in a job-environment experience. A positive step is an agreement which the Faculty has recently signed together with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry (MCCEI) where representatives of the manufacturing industry have committed themselves in

5 offering summer placement programmes for students. This is a positive step forward and should be considered as an act of good practice. Faculty of Health Sciences Placement programmes in this Faculty are virtually part of every course programme which is offered. This prepares students very well from the practical point of view given that such students revolve mainly on laboratory work and patient health care. Work placement venues also rotate so that students achieve experience in a multitude of different work environments which promotes an open-minded teamwork approach. The Faculty is directly responsible for these placements which run across the year and are mostly obligatory to students. Faculty of Information and Communication Technology The Faculty of ICT is not engaged in offering placement programmes to students following any of its courses. Students are offered such programmes by the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA), which issues yearly calls for students interested in achieving experience. This is also a thriving sector where a number of opportunities may be exploited by a Faculty initiative. Faculty of Laws Like prospective architects, prospective law students are not offered with a working experience with a relevant professional. Students however try to find and engage themselves in a work practice experience which they find by their own initiative without support from the faculty. Current developments will see future admitted students to be offered such programmes by the faculty itself in collaboration with third parties. Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences The faculty of MAKS does not offer placement/internships. However, there are offerings of practicum which are related to film making projects which students undertake in teams. These practicum are however of an

6 assignment-based nature and do not pertain work-environment experience. These projects simulate only a relatively small portion of the different knowledge subjects which students undertake. Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Medicine students, and therefore future doctors and surgeons are expected to carry out hands-on experiences in hospitals to train in basic medicinal practices, interaction with patients and clinical diagnosis amongst other. Such experience is sometimes also offered in foreign countries for students who show interest. These initiatives are a responsibility of the Faculty in collaboration with hospital. Pharmacy students are also students of this faculty and within their course they are also prepared for work by either carrying out an experience in a commercial pharmacy or else in an industrial enterprise in the pharmaceutical sector. Faculty of Science The Faculty of Science offers an extensive range of courses with a number of possible subject combinations. The provision of work placement programmes is not part of the current practice at the faculty and the courses which include a work placement programme are quite limited. Faculty of Social Well Being This faculty offers a number of areas of study which require a hands-on nature due to the therapeutic nature of subjects such as counseling, psychology, social work and so on. There are some form of work experience placements but not implemented to the same extent in each area of study. Work-experience in this faculty should be promoted even further given that this will benefit to both graduates and the communities they offer their services to.

7 Industrial-Academic Links This work experience may be also implemented in course programmes through support from third parties. This section will identify potential entities which may facilitate the Government s and UoM s objective to implement such work experience opportunities for the benefit of the student community. Government Entities (e.g. Ministries, Authorities, Agencies, Local Councils) Professional Associations (e.g. Chamber of Architects, Chamber of Lawyers, Chamber of Engineers, Chamber of Scientists and others) Commercial and industrial enterprises Voluntary organisations Entrepreneurs who were past University of Malta students. Past University of Malta students engaged as Independent Professionals or in Partnership of professionals. Academic staff with a strong industrial portfolio Professional Recruitment Agencies General Recommendations University Recruitment Opportunities Centre A considerable step forward would be the creation of a one-stop shop at University which caters for job/internship opportunities for UoM students. This centre would function similarly to other support units at UoM (e.g. international office. stipends office). This new centre would have the following functions: Implementation and administration of the student Summer Workphase scheme. Follow up, cataloguing and advertisement employment opportunities for students. Liaison with Faculties to identify internship opportunities for students. Promotion student mobility programmes for internships in foreign countries (support relevant student organisations such as AIESEC and IAESTE)

8 Support students when applying for internships Support students when writing a CV and preparing for job interviews Transpose EU funds into projects which involve UoM students Promote Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is an important skill and asset for students within a knowledge based economy. This skill opens one mind and horizons and therefore leads the way for further career development and fulfilment. The following actions may see that students are exposed to entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship skills as part of academic formation (e.g. inclusion of entrepreneurship-related optional study units, motivational exposure to entrepreneurs who were past UoM students) Promotion of student involvement in entrepreneurship activities (e.g. Young enterprise initiatives at UoM, Business Plan competitions) Promotion of business incubation at the University of Malta Incentivise students with potential intellectual property to develop and commercialise their idea Empowerment and awareness of the services of the Knowledge Transfer Office Reward and advertise students who established local intellectual property by means of their academic work. Increased Volunteering Programs Volunteering typically has a strong positive influence on an individual s character. This is particularly true to University students which will be future contributors to the economy. The skills obtained from volunteering will complement well with the academic skills. Some initiatives may include: University-wide information campaign on the importance and benefits of volunteering. Inclusion of volunteering initiatives as part optional study-units Promotion of national volunteering opportunities amongst University students

9 University may embark on its own volunteering initiative which may be based locally or abroad and can be fully executed by interested University students. Transpose EU funds in Opportunities As the background information report shows, the number of EU opportunities that exist are extensive and beneficial. The more crucial part is how these may be maximised for the benefit of students. Some important methods may include: Government may tap funds for projects which create job/volunteering opportunities for students. Government may transpose EU funding into schemes for employers who are willing to provide relevant work experience opportunities to students. Projects may also involve students in building soft and extracurricular skills Promote ERASMUS for All amongst graduates as well as means to achieve further learning experiences outside of Malta Promote the awareness and availability of the EURES initiative amongst fresh graduates at UoM who would be interesting in seeking employment in Europe. Extend Outreach to Employment Providers This is an issue of attention if UoM is truly envisaging a more holistic academic formation by including work experiences. Without links with industry, this is not achievable. Therefore UoM must strive so that each faculty/institute/centre may healthy build bridges with the respective industry. Raise awareness of opportunities in industry for respective expertise Support of events which attracts the presence of commercial/industrial enterprises at UoM (e.g. KSU s Careers Convention) Organise similar profession-specific conventions (e.g. Faculty based company networking sessions)

10 Bridge healthy communication links between each Faculty Institute/Centre and a facilitator of industry-related jobs (e.g. Faculty of Engineering with MCCEI, Faculty of ICT with MITA) Conclusions The recommendations outlined in this report are built around a number of gaps which students see visible at the University of Malta. The purpose of the report is solely that of outlining the scenarios on which students think the University of Malta should work to improve upon. These recommendations may provide the tools for the Ministry and University to collaborate further on addressing these gaps. The collaboration may in fact extend to collaboration with third parties. University shows excellence in providing the academic formation to students whilst third parties may contribute by complementing this with work experience. One looks at already established initiatives in other institutions, such as the MCAST Gateway to Industry, and envisages that UoM should lean towards achieving an important relationship with industry for the benefit of students. In turn, this will mean that the output of University of Malta would be of a higher value, producing students which are composed of an excellent academic background and relevant work experience.