European skills week aims to promote vocational education

The annual European Vocational Skills Week (EVSW) organised by the European Commission will take place next week enhancing the benefits of vocational education training (VET) and highlighting the opportunities that VET gives to businesses in Malta and the European Union, according to a press release sent to Business Malta.

The aim of EVSW is to make stakeholders realise the potential of investing in human resources and the motto of the week is “Discover your Talent!” and it is centred around the theme of “VET for all – Skills for Life”. Moreover, activities will take place across 28 EU member states.

“VET gives an opportunity for people of all ages to invest in their interests and combine talent with a livelihood. I think it makes sense for anyone interested to check out the range of courses available – they can actually lead to high-quality jobs and increased employability,” said Julian Mallia, aka Julinu, the EVSW Maltese ambassador.

VET provides relevant skills for today’s labour market. Work-based learning and apprenticeship schemes ensure the closest links between education and the world of work. One in four adults in Europe is unable to find employment or progress in their career, according to the press release sent to BM. For this reason, VET represents a way out and brings multiple benefits for both the employers and the individuals.

In addition, 40% of Europe’s employers are not able to find people with the right skills. Citizens of all ages can look towards vocational education and training to improve their job prospects or fast-track their careers.

Moreover, 87% of vocational graduates are happy with the skills they acquire and young people with a vocational qualification earn 25% more than those with only a low level of education.

“VET institutions, like MCAST, are in touch with what industries currently require and what they will need in the future – thus narrowing the gap between industry and education. This will lead to better-skilled workers, making Malta more competitive on an international level in a range of new emerging jobs,” said Julinu.

“Within an ever-changing work environment, investing in skills and continuous learning is a sensible approach. Gone are the days where you’d work for 20 years within the same company doing exactly the same thing, over and over again. So finding an area of expertise that interests you and inspires you to keep on learning will be more likely to pay off in the long run,” he added.