With the considerable changes in the labour market and higher education, skills have become the focus of graduate employability. “Universities are being urged to produce ‘employable’ graduates and not simply, employees,” explains Anne Marie Thake, HR and Policy Specialist at the University of Malta

According to Dr Thake, while the University of Malta is under pressure to equip graduates with more than the academic skills traditionally presented by a subject discipline and a degree, private organisations continue to require core skills needed in many types of employment.

“While a job for life has become extinct, employability skills have become imperative. In line with this, the National Education Strategy 2024-2030 advocates that the focus should be on preparing ‘a resilient generation with sharpened human skills, namely empathy, emotional self-regulation, and elevated flexibility’.

“Graduate employability, with its potential to enhance the qualifications and skills of the workforce, is perceived as a way to increase prosperity and wealth,” adds Dr Thake.

She further explains that while the University has invested in courses, specialisations, areas of study and research initiatives designed to produce qualified professionals who work in public and private organisations, many employers have shifted from seeking entry credentials to assessing critical skills.

“Credentials alone do not reflect the actual skills required to carry out the job and this is why more still needs to be done to align the education system with the labour market. This is also supported by empirical data which continues to emphasise a demand for skilled professionals across diverse sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, construction, ICT, aviation, maritime affairs and green energy.”

Dr Thake notes that while the ongoing issue of skill gaps and mismatches continues to be mitigated in the short term with the import of foreign labour, this disparity is set to intensify amidst the constantly evolving labour landscape.

“Transformations in the labour market bring both uncertainties but also prospects and this is why prioritising investments in human capital development is imperative and necessitates a recalibration of our educational strategy to accommodate the prevailing labour market exigencies.”

“This adjustment might require a thoughtful overhaul of existing degree programmes, precisely crafted to meet the evolving requirements of the labour market. We need to engage more with students to have them more involved especially at post-secondary and tertiary institutions such as MCAST and the University of Malta.”

Aligning and fine-tuning Malta’s education strategy to market requirements remains an ongoing process and aligning education to industry needs while implementing the required policy requires a multifaceted approach.

Anne Marie Thake

Dr Thake explains how some academic disciplines already collaborate with different stakeholders to enable the identification of emerging industry trends and skill requirements so that insights, challenges and priorities are exchanged and immersed in the curricula.

“Labour market trends help us identify evolving industry needs and potential skill gaps which informs curriculum development, training programmes, and educational policies to address current and future workforce demands. Some courses also include experiential learning opportunities and practical skill development to ensure graduates are well-equipped for the demands of the job market.

“Some degrees also collaborate with industry partners who offer internships and work-based learning experiences to students which gives them real-world exposure and hands-on training and allows educators to gain valuable insights into industry practices and expectations. The University also supports entrepreneurship initiatives to cultivate a culture of innovation and resilience within the education system.”

Monitoring graduate outcomes, employment rates, employer satisfaction, and student feedback provides valuable data that helps refine policies and programs to better meet industry needs.

“This is where the National Skills Council comes in, leveraging evidence-based practices to understand and anticipate current and future skills within the labour work force, whilst instigating policy changes to this effect,” adds Dr Thake. 

Asked about which sectors or industries could be particularly beneficial when hosting partnerships, Dr Thake remarks that such partnerships can be beneficial across a wide range of sectors and industries, there are certain sectors whose rapid growth, evolving skill requirements, and technological advancements could be particularly advantageous.

“Partnerships between educational institutions and IT companies for instance can help us align better our curriculum to areas such as software development, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. Similarly, with the fast advancements in medical technology and healthcare delivery systems, partnerships with healthcare organisations through practical training opportunities in clinical settings and research laboratories can prepare students for careers in nursing, medicine, biomedical engineering, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare management.”

Other up-and-coming areas of interest include renewable energy and sustainable practices, mechanical and electrical engineering, industrial automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, hospitality and tourism, fintech and digital banking solutions focusing on financial literacy programmes and entrepreneurship initiatives.

“Only if we foster better collaboration and dialogue between academia and industry, stakeholders we can ensure that education and training programmes remain relevant, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of today’s workforce,” concludes Dr Thake.

This article was first published in the April issue of The Corporate Times