Malta - National e-Skills Strategy 2019-2021

The National e-Skills Strategy of Malta covers the period between 2019 and 2021.The Strategy's goal is to complement existing local, regional, and EU-level initiatives, and address existing skills gaps and mismatches in Malta. Another objective is to make information on new roles, skills and jobs available and promote the development of futureproof skills that will be increasingly required across sectors.  

The strategy builds on four key skills pillars of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition: Digital skills for information and communication technology (ICT) professionals, digital skills for the education system, digital skills for the local industry and labour force, and digital skills for all citizens. 

Main areas of focus and recommendations

• Improving information technology (IT) teaching practices through enhanced stakeholder-to-stakeholder cooperation - bringing industry experts to the classroom and launching initiatives, led by guidance practitioners. 
• Ensuring quality in curriculum design and implementation by: introducing ICT-related curriculum changes across educational levels, harmonising existing curriculum across public and private education providers, and promoting the use of the EU-based self-reflection tool, SELFIE. 
• Supporting lifelong learning, continuous professional development and collaboration between industry sectors. 
• Upskilling, specialisation, and retention of existing industry workforce by a project to establish short-cycle specific trainings
• Developing a new framework on a national level for grading and evaluating digital competence. 
• Encouraging younger people to adopt a more participative, rather than consumer-related use and understanding of technology. 
• Combatting existing digital divide within society by fostering  stronger relationships between public and private organisations
• Developing and implementing a professional framework for ICT professionals on a national level.