Skills pass to be mandatory for all new non-EU workers

A new government policy will oblige every new third country national working in Malta to complete a version of the skills pass that focuses on Maltese culture, norms and rights.

The initiative is set to be announced in the coming days.

Currently, only those third country nationals working in hospitality need to have the skills pass – a certification that hospitality workers acquire after taking a course and passing an exam.

The skills pass covers topics relevant to a would-be worker’s job, such as customer care and relevant competencies related to the particular job. It also covers topics about Malta and basic English language skills.

“The idea is for every new third country national planning to work in Malta to complete a version of the skills pass before moving to Malta,” government sources told Times of Malta.

That course will cover issues related to Malta’s culture, norms and rights – including their rights as workers, they said.

“For example, a worker needs to know that if they are working for over 40 hours, they should be paid at overtime rates. This skills pass will mean that they know what a worker’s basic rights are.”

The course will look into Maltese society and what is expected of people living in Malta.

“These include Malta’s values, traditions, the role of women in society and LGBTIQ rights.”

But another reason comes following complaints from the catering industry to the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE).

“Restaurateurs are saying that fewer people are applying for jobs because of the skills pass. Those TCN workers go to other industries instead,” Times of Malta was told.

The government sources said the new policy will also help to create more of a level playing field in the job market. It is unclear how much completing the new skills pass will cost.

The government is planning to officially announce the policy in the coming days, alongside other initiatives in the much-touted labour migration policy.

The policy, published for consultation in January, aims at reducing migrant worker turnover.

That consultative document had also proposed several measures to that end, including blocking employers with high termination rates from hiring new foreign workers.

The government document also proposed banning cash salaries and extending work permit periods from one to two years.

The document also proposed extending the grace period for third country nationals who lose or leave their job from 10 days to 60, to allow them more time to find a new job.

Speaking about the policy in January, Employment and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri had said that the government’s plan was to stabilise Malta’s population.

“We are being clear that we are taking a different direction to the population growth we saw in recent years. That growth was needed to serve the economy but we now need to take different decisions because we understand the challenges there may be,” Camilleri had said.