The Malta Employers’ Association is organising a Conference entitled “Resilience to Change: Building Strong Models for a Sustainable Business”.
The purpose of the event is to present pioneering research on the identification of bottlenecks in business transformation and a Manual that has been specifically articulated from the research that will serve as a step-by-step guide for Employers to support change in their companies.
The conference will end with a business lunch at noon.
Register for free at https://forms.gle/Mj5a2TGotGwQvVJm8
View the full programme and promo.
On the 13th July, MEA organised a conference at the Parliament Building about the low birth rate and its impact on the future of Maltese society. The session, which was televised live, was chaired by the Hon. Angelo Farrugia and Hon. David Agius. Various speakers from employer bodies, unions, civil society, women organisations, academics, youth organisations and politicians tackled the issue from different perspectives and the presentations provided a wealth of information that could serve as a basis for a holistic approach to policy actions. The President Emeritus, Hon. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca was also one of the speakers.
In her opening address, Ms. Joanne Bondin, MEA president, stated that: ‘The worst thing that could happen to our society is that we are carried by the current, overwhelmed by forces beyond our control. The easiest way out will be to accept that trends of low birth rates are happening in many industrialised countries, and simply resign to our fate. I argue that if we say that there is no need for actions and measures, this should be a conscious decision and not the result of inertia. On the other hand, if we believe that it would be in our nation’s interest to increase the fertility rate, then we need to assess carefully the factors that are contributing to low fertility, and take the necessary actions to reverse the situation’.
The MEA has been at the forefront of raising awareness about Malta’s rapidly changing demographic environment. In 2017 it published a seminal position paper which stressed the need for a strategy to deal with a situation whereby on one hand we have one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and on the other we also have a rapidly expanding population which can cause infrastructural, environmental and social pressures. Just six years later we are living the projections that were forecasted in that paper, which was discussed at length at the MCESD and also with the major political parties.
The Association is compiling a report on the proceedings of this conference to serve as a basis for further action. We believe that this issue is also critical for employers due to its impact on the labour supply, composition and quality of the labour force. We are already in a situation where more than 30% of employees in the private sector are not Maltese. Policy actions that are being taken in other countries to increase fertility often involve employers and conditions of employment. We need to ensure that even if an extension of family friendly measures is required as part of national policy, this would be the result of a distribution of existing benefits, and not an addition to overall entitlements that may have negative repercussions on the country’s competitiveness. This point was highlighted by MEA DG Joseph Farrugia and MEA consultant Mr. Kevin Borg.
There has already been considerable interest by many organisations to collaborate with MEA on further initiatives related to this issue, and Parliament will also be preparing a publication in conjunction with the Association which will compile a full report of the conference, highlighting the salient points and made by the various speakers.
The full event may be viewed here.
Presentation by Joseph Farrugia (Director General, MEA)
Presentation by Kirsten Cutajar Miller (Consultant, MEA)
Presentation by Dr Marie Briguglio (Economist)
Presentation by Dr Patricia Bonello (Chief Research Officer, Discern)
There’s a common challenge which is putting most employers in the same boat: an unprecedented shortage of workers and specific skillsets which is significantly straining business continuity and the country’s overall competitiveness. The MEA has taken the initiative to address this issue head-on, by gathering together all stakeholders able to make a difference. Through this National Conference, the MEA will be bringing employers, business leaders, politicians and decision-makers at government entities and authorities together to address the bottlenecks and come up with solutions aimed at tangibly addressing this reality.
To ensure that the Conference is able to target the most pressing issues, four focus groups have already sifted through extensive feedback collected from various employers and other stakeholders, coming up with a number of proposals that will be debated at this Forum. Join us as we seek to map together an important chapter in Malta’s economic transformation and growth.
Presentation by Kirsten Miller
Presentation by JP Fabri
Presentation by Dr Anne Marie Thake
Presentation by Dr Roberta Lepre’
Media report – Pre-event coverage
The Malta Employers’ Association is an active member of the BUSINESSMED community – an international association that represents business support organisations in the Euromed area.
BUSINESSMED’s 20th Anniversary is coming up and the Malta Employers’ Association is hosting the celebrations in Malta between the 14th-15th September 2022 at the AX The Palace Hotel, Sliema.
We would like to invite our members to participate in the various activities being held as part of the MED Business Days, in line with the EBSOMED project.
Panel discussions, workshops and B2B meetings are being organised to offer Maltese companies the opportunity to meet other companies and business representatives from the Euromed area. We will be targeting the following sectors: Manufacturing – ICT Technologies – Transport and Logistics in the Blue Economy – Hospitality & Tourism. However, all in the light of digitalisation, entrepreneurship, green transition, skills development and economic growth. High level representatives from the European Commission, Union for the Mediterranean, International Organisation of Employers and International Labour Organisation will also be present for the events.
Click here to view the full Agenda.
Participation is free of charge for MEA members.
You are being encouraged to register at your earliest convenience by following the Registration Steps.
The Malta Employers’ Association held a virtual national conference with the theme Balancing Sustainable Economic Growth with Quality of Life – A National Challenge, on 18 June 2021.
The conference focused on the following aspects of GDP and well-being:
Click here to view the events’ programme.
Read the President’s speech here.
View here the post event’s video.
The event was supported by APS Bank, EY Malta and Atlas Insurance.
The Malta Employers’ Association organised a conference on 20th February entitled: The Reform of the Industrial Tribunal – Why is it Necessary?
During this conference we discussed the current situation and also the views of MEA, industrial relations experts, unions and political parties on whether and how the Industrial Tribunal can be reformed to reflect contemporary requirements.
Click here to view the presentation delivered by Dr Charlotte Camilleri.
As part of the SME Week 2017, the Malta Employers’ Association together with the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses, MCAST Entrepreneurship Centre and MCAST are organising a Half – day Conference: “Bridging the Gap: Student to Business Entrepreneur”.
This event will bring together employers and students to discuss issues connected with starting a business and to encourage young people to become entrepreneurs.
Click here to download the conference brochure. Registration is free of charge, but booking is necessary. For registrtation, please click here.
