Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/278185
Opinion 27 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 MARCH 2014 I t is the objective of the Government is place Malta as a centre of excellence in the fields of the marine and maritime sectors within the Mediterranean Sea Basin. These sectors have always played an important and significant role in Malta's economy for a number of reasons, such as socio-economic factors and the geographic location of the islands. The history of Malta's maritime sector dates back thousands of years, facilitating the development of commerce within the Mediterranean Sea basin as far back as the Phoenician period. Malta's dependence on the sea has been instrumental for the evolution of a strong marine and maritime tradition, not only because of Malta's geographic location but also due to the fact that it is located in the middle of a busy maritime trading route, which has however brought its share of economic challenges. The fact that around 90% of Malta's trade arrives and leaves the island by sea has also contributed to Maltese society. It had lead a certain respect towards the importance of the sea and has further cultivated the cultural aspect influencing the evolution of Malta's marine and maritime cluster. The government's aim is to capitalise on this strong tradition, which in turn provides the necessary foundations upon which the economy has and will continue to grow. The outlook towards the marine and maritime sectors needs to expand and diversify further - we need to establish a level of confidence and certainty to allow the private sector, both locally and internationally, to invest in unchartered markets. The government has adopted the term "marine and maritime sectors", also referred to as the 'blue economy'. This term has been specifically adopted on a national level in order to clearly send a political message as to the government's integrated approach towards these sectors under the framework of the Integrated Maritime Policy. On a European Union level it has been identified that the 'blue economy' has a significant role to play, representing roughly 5.6 million jobs and accounting for a gross value added of 495 billion euro. Identifying such potential, it is time that we do more than simply foster what has been achieved but in order to attain sustainable economic growth, we need to look beyond and identify further opportunities from our seas and coastline. The Communication from the Commission on the Union's Blue Growth agenda identifies key sectors namely: blue energy, aquaculture, coastal and cruise tourism, marine mineral resources and blue biotechnology. The government is looking at the potential of our surrounding waters. It is not a matter of simply maintaining what has been achieved in specific areas such as the maritime transport sectors, aquaculture and the coastal and cruise tourism. We need to venture into other sectors. In general, although not explicitly defined, the Maltese marine and maritime sectors have been broadly seen as those industries which exploit the sea in a sustainable manner for commercial and economical purposes. To date, the sectors have extended from maritime transport to maritime services, which include ship registration and associated services, yachting, aquaculture and coastal tourism. We need to tap into potential areas such as extending offshore oil and gas extraction services, blue energy and looking into the possibility of biotechnology. The Government is looking at all possibilities for expanding the marine and maritime cluster and improving its performance in international competition. Nonetheless, performance is highly dependent on skills. A competitive, reliable and efficient marine and maritime sector has been and will be fundamental in creating further employment opportunities, job creation and the economic growth of Malta and this depends on a workforce of qualified people. Studies have shown that knowledge- intensive business services are most important to sustain existing and future clusters. It is unfortunate that on a national level there has never been an appropriate specific management of human capital, which has resulted in skill shortages in the sector. Malta's national marine and maritime strategy is based on a three-pronged approach whereby the government is focusing on creating employment opportunities in the marine and maritime sectors through diversification, promoting the employment of youths both at sea as well as on land, the assessment of existing human resources and qualification and revitalisation of the educational and training programme catering for these sectors. To date, the national educational and training programmes have maintained a conservative approach that has only catered for entrants to the maritime transport sector without looking into future opportunities for these entrants within a wider marine and maritime context. The insufficient link between education, training and the labour market needs has always been a major pitfall. It is therefore necessary to establish an integrated educational network allowing a more holistic approach to the marketing and promotion of career opportunities in the marine and maritime sectors. Malta needs to create a single apprenticeship scheme covering more qualification levels to contribute towards fostering a workforce geared to the marine and maritime sectors' needs. In addition, closer cooperation is to be established between the University, MCAST, research and the industry in order to match knowledge and skills training with human resources requirements. The government has set the marine and maritime sectors high on the agenda and its policies are set to adopt a holistic approach in order to further assist the development of the sectors. One way this can be ensured is to focus on retaining maritime knowhow. We need to equip our workforce with the right tools and providing the adequate opportunities. In order to attract youths to take up career paths within the respective fields, we not only need to improve the image of the respective sectors but to promote the idea of a career with perspectives of mobility, promotions and future employment at sea and on land. There is an urgent need to eliminate the barriers to the mobility of qualified people, particularly seafarers, between the respective marine and maritime sectors. The Council conclusions on the promotion of sea transport and the seafaring profession adopted in 2003 had provided the political impetus and the direction on the way forward. A national mechanism should be established in order to constantly monitor the evolution and effects of the measures taken on a national level to increase the attractiveness of the maritime profession, so as to encourage our youths to consider a lifetime career. The maritime educational system should be tailored to cater for professional mobility; people taking up careers at sea would be able to find opportunities ashore. A common impression is that former sea-going officers make attractive employees ashore. In addition to the monitoring mechanisms, the relevant stakeholders, who include governmental agencies and the private sector, should play an active role. We need to ensure that all available European Union funds for this purpose are utilised and we also need to examine possible instruments available, such as the Horizon 2020 programme, aimed at promoting the profession and enhancing education and training in the marine and maritime sectors. Furthermore, the engagement of the social partners is vital in order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by any European instruments to achieve a truly maritime hub. The government is committed to diversifying Malta's 'blue economy', capitalising on the strong maritime tradition in terms of establishing a comprehensive monitoring system, and increasing the labour market relevance of education and training to address skills gaps with a strong emphases on mobility. This is the way forward. Edward Zammit Lewis is Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Edward Zammit Lewis Sailing towards a blue economy The Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu