Malta Faced With Skills Gap As Less Than Half Of Employees Access Training Opportunities, New Data Shows
Misco has recently published data quoting Eurostat which indicates that only 45.1% of companies in Malta provided training opportunities for their employees in 2020.
This statistic throws a harsh light on the state of employee skill development and enhancement in the country, as organisations grapple with ensuring their workforce is equipped with the necessary technical and soft skills to excel in their respective roles.
The survey highlighted that employees in Malta consider themselves reasonably skilled to perform their jobs, both technically and in soft skills.
However, some discrepancies emerge when contrasting employees’ perceptions of their skills with what employers believe to be crucial competencies for their roles.
For instance, employees identified self-organisation/time management, leadership, and decision-making as the top three skills most important for their job roles.
However, when asked about skills training, only 79.2% of respondents expressed interest, with 20.8% stating that they would not like to receive any soft skills training.
Interestingly, the top three skills employees wished to be trained on were leadership, thinking, and persuasion skills, revealing a desire to take on more complex responsibilities and perform better in their current roles.
A significant discrepancy exists between employees’ self-perception and the employers’ perspective on the workforce’s skill gaps.
While employees pointed out that strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and empathy were most lacking in the workforce, employers in 2022 highlighted the lack of decision-making skills, ability to prioritise work, and a strong work ethic as areas of concern.
Over half the employees stated that they would not apply for a job if they did not have the necessary skills, presenting a stark contrast to the 71% of employers in 2022 who expressed a preference for hiring ready-trained and technically skilled individuals.
This preference for already skilled individuals aligns with the data that less than 50% of companies provide training to all staff members, potentially creating a loop of skills shortage in the Maltese job market.
Despite these challenges, 83% of employees reported being offered training within their organisations. The majority of these training opportunities focused on technical skills and leadership and management skills.
However, companies face hurdles in providing adequate training, with time constraints, budget limitations, and lack of interest emerging as the top three challenges in implementing training programs.
Do you think there is a lack of skill & training in the local job market?