Our society is undergoing significant change. Some challenges are relatively new as they have surfaced in the wake of the pandemic; others, however, are not so new. We are changing demographically, economically and technologically in a way that will have lasting effects on the way we go about our lives.

The pandemic itself threatened livelihoods and continues to do so until science and caution defeat it determinedly. It has left its considerable mark on the labour market.

The latter has not seen the end of consequential impact as the European Green Deal together with the steadily progressing digital transformation will take industrial, economic and technological change to a point of no return. Such change is also stretching a skills gap, inevitably raising questions on sustainability.

In the largest allocation of European funds since our island state joined the EU, amounting to €2.27 billion, lies ample potential to make meaningful impact. Guided by the awareness of pressing issues among sensitive elements in our society coupled with challenges around the corner, the government is clear in its intention to start off by social investment.

A total investment of €193 million under the European Social Fund Plus represents the tangible intervention designed by the government with a vision to clear the path for social progress and enable a better standard of living across distinct layers in society. The focus is directly laid on persons with disability, disadvantaged children and youths, parents and those lacking the skills to join the workforce.

Such a vision is not simply looking to generate more work but also better work, and roles to which our youths aspire.

Our efforts with regard to the latter is to sustain the levels of employability obtained in most of the past decade, mainly through measures that would expose them to work.

The ‘one tablet per child’ scheme will be extended to secondary schools- Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi

Training and mentoring programmes will help NEETs, or young people who are neither employed nor studying, to penetrate the labour market and integrate. Targeted allocation of funds will remove obstacles for long-term jobseekers especially those restricted by their skill set or disability.

With a focus on women and older workers – the groups perennially disadvantaged to make it to the workforce – incentives to generate new job opportunities, also in an effort to lessen the downward slide into long-term unemployment, will be supported.

As we maintain a healthy progress in our digital evolution (fifth in DES index) and take more steps towards a carbon-neutral economy, ESF+ will be instrumental to strengthen the country’s capacity in the green and digital sectors and to promote upskilling and reskilling, and ensuring that the workforce remains apt for the demands of economic development.

Priorities in this short to medium social vision are inevitably interdependent. The investment of around €60 million in the labour market will bear limited fruit if disentangled from the strong investment of €77 million in the education sector to ultimately feed the industry with decision-makers and critical thinkers able to solve problems of a future characterised more intensely by new and emerging technologies and automation.

Starting children young in digital technologies promises to work in furthering this goal, therefore the ‘one tablet per child’ scheme will be extended to secondary schools. Programmes directly focused to continue reducing youngsters departing the school environment prior to their sweet 16 are planned to feature in the allocation of ESF+ funds.

A resilient labour market (and a progressing society) requires a continuously upgrading workforce. In this light, lifelong learning programmes will be encouraged, while those employers ready to invest to enhance the skill set of their staff will find the appropriate support.

This social investment through European funds forms a vision of a government that wants to drive meaningful social development and improve the standard of living through more and better work and better education.

The plan is up for public consultation and feedback is one e-mail away on consultationefsplus@gov.mt.