Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518324
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MARCH 2024 THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION By CLAYTON BARTOLO Minister for Tourism and Public Cleanliness A lawyer spends many years in univer- sity to obtain a warrant to represent you in court. Should restaurant staff serving you and our visitors be made to through such a rigorous licencing pro- cess? Obviously not. At stake in a court of law is not quite the same as serving a Maltese platter with the right commu- nication skills, a smile and knowledge of what is being served. Yet the raison d'etre of licensing in both cases is comparable. Quite simply, a client receiving a service needs the peace of mind that he or she delivering it knows what they are doing and what is expected of them. This is what the Skills Pass scheme for non-EU (or EEA) citizens we just launched is all about. Essentially, we are setting up an institutionalised bench- mark so that hospitality and leisure staff fully honour both the obligations to, and expectations of, their clients. We rolled out a comprehensive training programme for staff coupled with effective, transparent and secure assess- ments. The ultimate scope is to take our tourism industry a notch higher. Now, more than ever, this is precisely what today's tourist is scanning the options for. So how does the Skills Pass work? Without going too granular, it will be split into two phases. In the first, a can- didate picks the online modules, four of which are mandatory, and at least one occupation. S/he would need to pass all mandatory ones - English proficiency and the basics of customer care, knowl- edge of the Maltese tourism product and English for hospitality. The online system, its administration and built-in checks are programmed to prevent cheating in its potential forms. In the second phase, candidates are transparently and professionally inter- viewed online and have their personal identification documents scrutinised. Upon clearance, the Skills Pass certifi- cate is issued to the successful candi- date. Apart for those seeking employment, the scheme is also gear and adapted to attract students, including ELT ones, who wish to work in parallel or embark on internships. The scheme has also been moulded to include sector skilled and specialised applicants. Those in possession of a verified Skills Pass and the approval of Jobsplus and the Malta Police Force shall be given a residence and work permit for a year. The period may be extended to two years as long as certain criteria are ful- filled, including that their gross annual income exceeds €20,000. In terms of timelines, the legal notice regulating the introduction of the scheme in the tourism and hospitality sector will be published this month. From this point onwards, it will be a matter of executing what we are prom- ising to the best of our knowledge and ability. The Skills Pass scheme did not materi- alise out of thin air. It is deeply rooted in our visionary Malta Tourism Strategy 2021-2030: Recover, Rethink, Revitalise plan, the work of my Ministry and that of Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality. Jointly we are spearheading the "Gateway to Quality Employment in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry" policy. I am absolutely convinced that the scheme has all the ingredients to succeed, benefitting the hospitality industry, our visitors, us Maltese and the economy as a whole. My optimism stems from the fact that this initiative had the active and insightful support and ideas of the private operators in the sector. And for this I heartily thank them. As the facts are showing, the post-pan- demic recovery of this sector in our country has been faster and stronger than we imagined. Malta is back on the European, and indeed global, map with buoyant determination. Yet we are certainly not about to become complacent. Competition from countries near and far is and will con- tinue to be fierce. The introduction of the Skills Pass is yet more evidence that we as a government along with other public and private stakeholders are set on course to the future. The foreigners we need Essentially, we are setting up an institutionalised benchmark so that hospitality and leisure staff fully honour both the obligations to, and expectations of, their clients