The Malta Employers’ Association organised an information session about the recent developments regarding the Malta Qualifications Framework. The session focused on the referencing process, and how qualifications shall be classified in the MQF. It was held on 12th February 2010 at the Hotel Phoenicia, the Mall, Floriana.  Dr James Calleja and Mr Richard Curmi from the Malta Qualifications Council delivered a presentation about Standards and Qualifications.

What is the Malta Qualifications Council?

The mission statement of the MQC states that its main objective is: To oversee the development of the National Qualifications Framework in the context of lifelong learning and to work in partnership with learners, employers and training and education providers to achieve and maintain excellence as a contribution towards the national effort for competitiveness.

Malta’s Qualifications Framework takes the existing qualifications currently being issued by local education and training institutions and superimposes them on eight different levels.

MQC accredits programmes of studies and institutions on the basis of level descriptors, quality assurance mechanisms and clear pathways for further training and education. Occupational standards also determine the accreditation of specific programmes of studies.

Validation

Validation is the tool through which invisible learning is made visible. It is the tool through which, within a lifelong learning perspective, what is learnt, in whatever way, can be assigned a recognised value for personal use, social recognition, and employment. For individuals, validation means giving value to all the range of skills and competences one has; for employers it makes human resource management easier as it is possible to identify what a person is able to do; and for society where all the skills and competences available can be mapped. Validation is used as a common term to cover a whole process involving first the identification of learning outcomes, undergoing assessment and/or testing processes, to recognition, certification or accreditation at the end of the process.

The importance of validation has been highlighted in trying to value all types of learning, whenever and wherever it takes place and with a view that it makes visible learning what has so far still remained invisible. This is particularly relevant in the case of lifelong learning.

Validation takes place in the case of formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. In the case of formal education involving education and/or training programmes, validation leads to a certificate or diploma. This certification is usually placed within a national qualifications framework. This type of validation includes assessment of prior learning (APL). Validation in this area is usually recognised nationally and possibly also internationally, and has value within the labour market. Validation of formal education is quite advanced.

On 24 September 2008, the Malta Employers' Association organised a Business Breakfast with the theme Employing Foreign Workers.

The Maltese labour market is becoming more cosmopolitan in nature. Many employers are employing foreign workers and currently there are more than 7,000 registered foreigners working in Malta. This figure is higher than that for registered unemployed. Employers frequently resort to employing foreign employees because of labour and skills shortages in many sectors of the economy, and it is becoming clear that the input of foreign workers is becoming an important factor for sustained economic growth.

The employment of foreign workers is a multifaceted issue and the scope of this business breakfast was to address the main concerns facing employers when employing non-Maltese nationals. 

Dr Charlotte Camilleri, Executive in EU & Legal Affairs, MEA gave a presentation on the Employment Legislation and Foreign Employees.  Mr Raphael Scerri, Executive Employment Licence Unit at the Employment and Training Corporation gave a presentation on the procedure for employing foreign employees.  Insp. Sandro Zarb, Police Inspector (Immigration), Police Department explained the role of the Police Department in processing applications for work permits.  The Hon Minister John Dalli, Minister for Social Policy delivered the closing address.

During the business breakfast, employers were given the opportunity to put forward their questions and proposals for better systems for issuing work permits for foreigners to work in Malta.

During the last few months, MEA received a number of queries about employing retired persons. This is mainly because of changing demographics and more importantly, recent developments in the legislative environment that require clarification.

To respond to these employers' needs, on the 25th April 2008, the Malta Employers' Association organised an Information Session on employing persons who reached pensionable age. 

Mr Joseph Farrugia, Director General of MEA gave a presentation on the Pension Reform Implications for Employers.  Click here to download the presentation.  Mr Frank Micallef, Director (Benefits), Social Security Department gave a presentation on the Pension Reform and Budget Measures 2008 that are affecting employers.  Click here to download the presentation.

On 22 February 2008, the MEA organised an information session in relation to the employers' duty to inform and consult employees on employment and restructuring related issues.

The objective of this information session was to give participants an overview of the mechanics and implications of L.N. 10 of 2006, which in the case of undertakings employing 150 employees and over, entered into effect in January 2006, for undertakings employing between 100 and 149 employees, entered into effect on the 23 March, 2007 and for undertakings employing 50 employees and over, will be entering into effect on the 23 March, 2008. These rights are meant to add to those already enjoyed by employees.

Dr Charlotte Camilleri, Executive in EU & Legal Affairs at the MEA gave a presentation on the background and implementation of L.N. 10 of 2006.  Click here to download the presentation.  Ms Nicola Cassar, Senior Executive Employers' Schemes and Services at the ETC gave a presentation on the many schemes offered by the ETC.  Click here to download the presentation.

In 2006 the MEA issued an UPDATE concerning the Legal Notice.  This was circulated to MEA Members.  Click here to download the UPDATE. 

Following the entry into force of the amendments to the Part Time Regulatios, on 1 July 2007, the Malta Employers' Association has received numerous queries concerning part timers' newly acquired rights.  Hence the MEA felt it necessary to organise an information session to address the implications of these amendments.  The information session which was held on 5 October 2007 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre was very well attended. 

Click here to download the presentation delivered by Dr Charlotte Camilleri. Since the presentation is technical you are advised to call us immediately should you need any clarifications so there won't be any misunderstandings.

The National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) in conjunction with the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) organised a presentation on the implications of the euro changeover to the HR function within an organisation.  The presentation was delivered by Mr. Joseph F. X. Zahra, Chairperson of NECC on 6 July 2007 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

€ day is fast approaching and the mandatory dual display period is round the corner. It is thought that the very first few days of January 2008 will be the litmus test of our euro changeover national plan. Indeed, the dual circulation period will prove to be critical for the cash handlers, for two simple reasons;

1. The cash handlers will have to handle a new currency;
2. The cash handlers will have to handle two currencies at the same time.

Needless to say, the human resources of an organisation will play a crucial role during the euro changeover, be it cash handlers, IT staff, or accountancy staff. The employees need to be trained, informed, and involved in an organisation’s euro changeover plan. The information has to trickle top-down the organisation’s hierarchy and an internal euro contact point has to be established to receive queries and suggestions from the bottom end.

Mr. Zahra threw light on the dual display obligations, IT conversion issues, banks’ services, statutory reporting, and pricing issues, among others.

Click here to download the presentation.

The MEA organised a Business Breakfast on: "The European Commission's Green Paper - Modernising Labour Law to meet the Challenges of the 21st Century" on 15 February 2007.

The Green Paper is of great importance to employers, given that it touches on issues that relate to conditions of employment and deals with diverse issues of the labour market.

The scope of this business breakfast was to explain the contents of the Green Paper and also to provoke a discussion which will serve as a basis of the MEA’s response to the European Commission.

The event was very well attended by MEA members, non members and distinguisedd guests. The Malta Employers’ Association would like to thank Atlas Insurance, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Air Malta plc. for sponsoring the event.

On the 12th September, the MEA organised a seminar concerning business continuity after an outbreak of pandemic influenza.  Due to popular demand another session was held on the 29th September.  Guest speaker was Ms. Rose Anne Camilleri from the Health Division.

The Government of Malta has published guidelines for business continuity.  These guidelines can be downloaded by clicking here.

The Malta Employers' Association, the Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD) and the Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) at the University of Malta jointly organised a Breakfast Seminar entitled: The Manufacturing Sector - Its Sustainability and its impact on Industrial Relations. The seminar was held on 24 May 2006.

As part of the events organized for a smooth transition from the Maltese Lira to the Euro, scheduled for January 2008, a session has been organized with the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC) on the 15th May 2006.  MEA is participating in the private sector and pricing taskforces of the NECC.

The participants had the opportunity to clarify issues about the changeover to the Euro. It was conducted by Mr. Joseph F.X. Zahra, Chairman of the NECC committee, and Mr. Alan Camilleri, Executive Director.

For information, you can download the Glossary on Euro Terms. It includes a definition of all the relevant terms related to the Euro Changeover. 

On the 13 January 2006, the Employee (Information and Consultation) Regulations 2006 were published by means of Legal Notice 10 of 2006. The aim of the regulations is to implement the EU Information and Consultation Directive of 2002 (2002/14/EC). Following the publication of this law, employers will have to consult and inform employee's representatives and/or trade uniions on various subjects. The regulations also necessitate the formation of works councils within the employers structure in order for such consultation to take part and for the necessary information to be passed on.

In order to fully understand the practical implications of such regulations, the Malta Employers' Association and Law at Work - Malta jointly held a Seminar on the Practical Implications and the inceptions of the Informationa and Consultation Regulations of Employees 2006. The main speaker to the seminar was Mr Ian Watson, Training Services Manager at Law at Work UK. The aim of the seminar was to:

• Understand the history behind the regulations and why they exist
• Briefly explain the details and content of draft regulations
• Understand the practical problems and issues faced in the UK after the Implementation of Regulations.

The seminar was held on 28 March 2006.

Following our case studies sessions, MEA organised two sessions on Investigating and Resolving Disciplinary Problems in collaboration with Law At Work (Malta) Ltd.  These sessions were held on 28th March and repeated again the following day.

The session involved discussions and brainstorming on the practical HR and legal problems encountered when investigating a complaint made by an employee. The session was led and moderated by Mr Ian Watson from Law At Work - Scotland who has accepted our invitation to deliver an ad hoc study session on the subject exclusively for members of MEA and clients of LAW - Malta.

The Malta Employers' Association organised a seminar on 17 November 2005 to explain the details of the final report submitted by the pensions working group on pensions reform. Mr. David Spiteri Gingell, Chairperson of the Pensions Working Group. Mr. Spiteri Gingell gave a presentation wherein he explained the report with particular focus on the implications to employers of the proposed reform. Following the presentation there was a question and answer session.

The Malta Employers' Association (MEA), the Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) of the University of Malta, and the Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD) jointly organised a breakfast seminar on "Consultation and Information" on 24 October 2005.

Green Skip Services Ltd in conjunction with MEA, organised a two hour presentation on Tuesday, 30 August 2005 at the MEA boardroom on Industrial Waste Management.  The presentation was delivered by Ms Doris Sammut, who is a Joint Managing Director of the Green Skip Services Ltd, and GS Reclamation Ltd.  She is co-founder of the Malta Institute of Wastes Management, and presently the Council Secretary.

The main topics covered by the presentation were:

Classification, and management of industrial / trade solid wastes in compliance with existing and new legislation. 

Producer responsibility. 

What's going on locally, authorities involved, planning ahead without mistaken investment in waste management equipment.

Following the presentation an interesting discussion ensued, and a number of questions were raised.  The presentation was well attended and due to positive feedback a repeat session may be organised in the near future.

We thank Ms Sammut for her initiative to propose holding this event for our members.

An information session was held at MEA premises, by ETC personnel regarding the Childcare Project recently launched, co-financed by the European Social Fund.  During the session, participants got details on the project, including the benefits an employer has by participating, and the procedure on how to apply for the grants.  The session was held on the 29 July 2005 and was very well attended.

The MEA in conjunction with Total Learning Solutions (TLS) the Spanish Partner organisation of Santucci & Brown International organised a seminar on Business Process Improvement on 13 July 2005.

The seminar was addressed by Mr Julius Lamb from TLS, an experienced international trainer who has trained for various organisations amongst them; FIAT, BASF, IBM, Ideal Standard, Kraft Foods International, Bacardi, AVIS and VW Group to mention a few.

The seminar was not designed to teach participants how to map a process or to reengineer a faulty or outdated process.  During the workshop we explored other elements of process improvement.  Participants realised how process improvement could actually be going on in their organisations in an informal manner without actually being labelled as “process improvement”.

Participants discovered how and where vital information for process improvement comes from and facilitate and promote the flow of this information.

This active and fun workshop included two high energy activities that participants can adapt and use in their organisation to help their employees understand the challenges, the benefits, the fun and the philosophy behind organisations that excel in BPI.

The workshop provided a metaphorical insight to BPI best practices focusing on the soft side of process management and linking this to the hard figures, facts and tools of this essential part of modern day management.

The Malta Employers' Association (MEA), the Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD), and the Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) of the University of Malta jointly organised a breakfast seminar entitled “Activation Policy and Social Inclusion” on 6 June 2005.

On the 20 May, the Malta Institute of Management in collaboration with the Malta Employers' Association, General Workers' Union and Union Haddiema Maghqudin organised a seminar entitled “Trade Unions - Problem or Partner?”. 

On Wednesday the 30 March 2005, the Malta Employers' Association in collaboration with the British High Commission held a half-day seminar entitled: “Employment Issues - EU Developments and Implications”.

The new Employment Legislation has been in force, however a number of questions still arise and employers still face challenges to put this law into practice.  Knowing what is going on and knowing what structures are in place may be of guidance.  Ms Sina Bugeja, the Executive Director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality gave us an insight on the role of the Commission and its functions and Mr Andrew Warrington from Media Consulta took us through the EU Campaign regarding Diversity.  An additional asset would be that of knowing how the European Court of Justice is deciding a number of employment matters, such as discrimination cases and other conditions of employment.  In fact the key note speaker, Professor Barry Fitzpatrick, who has a vast experience in EU law, went through EU case-law and explained the developments and implications of such.  The scope of this seminar was to guide employers and HR practitioners on the implications of EU laws in employment being transposed into Maltese legislation. 

The seminar on the White Paper on Pension Reform was held as scheduled.  The highlight of the event was a presentation by Mr David Spiteri Gingell, Chairperson of the Pensions Working Group, who explained the contents of the White Paper to the wide cross-section of employers that where present for the seminar.  The presentation by Mr Spiteri Gingell is included in the Documentation section of this website.  A full report of the seminar and the papers presented will be carried in the next issue of The Employer.

An issue which will definitely have an impact on employers in 2005 is Pension Reform.  In 2003 MEA had conducted a survey amongst employers which led to the formulation of a position paper on Pension Reform which was generally adopted by the other employer bodies.  We intend to remain pro active on this issue and we are going to organise a seminar on this issue on 13 January 2005.  The objective of this seminar is for employers to have a better understanding of the White Paper on Pension Reform.  To this end we have invited Mr David Spiteri Gingell who has spearheaded the drafting of this White Paper to deliver a presentation whereby the contents of the White Paper will be explained and there will also be ample time for participants to address questions and to discuss. 

The Foundation for Human Resources Development (FHRD), the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) and the Workers’ Participation Development Centre (WPDC) of the University of Malta held jointly a breakfast seminar on Monday 25 October 2004 at the Crowne Plaza.  The event was kindly sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).

The debate about work-life balance very often centres on the effectiveness of family friendly measures in labour legislation and the provision of childcare services and facilities. This seminar took a different approach by focusing on issues which are considered by workers to be useful parameters to measure their work-life balance. These issues were raised during a focus group discussion which formed part of an empirical study conducted by the Workers’ Participation Development Centre (WPDC) in conjunction with Malta Employers’ Association (MEA).

Work-Life balance stems from the fact that workers have other needs besides the economic ones. What this balance suggests is that workers have to find a satisfactory state of equilibrium between their work and non-work domains. There is however no mechanical device which one can regulate or adjust to achieve this ideal balance between these two domains. Thus an appraisal of workers subjective views on how they are managing to combine their working life with their personal and social life can provide that much needed added value to an analysis of work-life balance.

To give a more wholesome picture a questionnaire was sent to employers in which they were asked to explain the rationale of the working time arrangement in their firms. Their responses indicate the family friendly measures introduced in labour legislation are not likely to provide workers with a menu a la carte abut their working time arrangement.

Download the presentation held at the seminar by Mr Saviour Rizzo, Acting Director, WPDC.