Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/475084
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 MARCH 2015 4 News TIM DIACONO THE Prime Minister said he plans to reform the pension system for peo- ple who are employed on a part-time basis by more than one employer. "Some cleaners work in several part-time jobs at the same time, of- ten working for more than 40 hours a week," Joseph Muscat said yester- day. "However, their pensions are only calculated on one of their part- time jobs, meaning that they'll live in poverty if they rely solely on their pensions. This means that they often can't retire." He was speaking at a conference on female employment ahead of Wom- en's Day today. "In order to raise pensions, we can either raise the pension age, which we will not do, increase the stamp duty, or increase workplace participation," he said. While the rate of female workplace participation has improved, Muscat said that the figure is still far too low and that the government plans to "emancipate" women by encourag- ing them to take up employment. He also said that he plans to update current family-friendly workplace measures to render them relevant to modern times. "While some govern- ment departments are exemplary in implementing family-friendly meas- ures, others look at such measures negatively," Muscat admitted. He said that the free childcare scheme has saved mothers around €6,000 a year in private childcare. "For people on the minimum wage, that's like giving three quarters of their salary back to them," he said. He also announced that the gov- ernment will soon launch a White Paper on school opening hours, which he expects to "cause some controversy". '80% of young women in employ- ment' 80% of women between 18-30 years old have a job, Employment and Training Centre chairman Clyde Caruana said. "This is one of the highest figures in Europe," Caruana said. "Meanwhile, the number of employed women aged 40-45 has in- creased by 6% since 2012, while that of women aged between 45-49 has increased by 10%," Caruana said. He added that the ETC would soon launch a work programme along with private service providers. "The ETC will focus on the short- term unemployed, while the private sector will focus on the long-term unemployed," Caruana said. "The private sector will have a pot of EU funds, which they will use to train and employ people who have been unemployed for over a year." 'Women in the workplace will boost the economy' Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli argued that a high level of women in the workplace could only do wonders to the economy. "When women thrive, businesses thrive, because when an economy only makes use of half its people, it only uses half of its potential," she said. Equality Commissioner Renee Laiviera said that while the majority of women want to find a job, many of them find it difficult to do so after becoming mothers. Indeed, Dalli said that previous government investments in female workplace participation failed pre- cisely because they hadn't focused on the children of potential working mothers. This, she said, was the logic behind the government's free child- care and Klabb 3-16 schemes. "51% of women are working and Malta has the second-lowest gender wage gap in Europe," Dalli said. "The maternity fund, which all employ- ers will have to pool in to, will pre- vent discrimination against women by employers on the basis that they could have to end up paying for their maternity leave." CALL FOR APPLICATIONS JOB COACHES FOR THE ESF 3.113, SUPPORTED & SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT TRAINING FOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, INCLUDING RDPs FOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, INCLUDING RDPs MPO Reference No: MPO98/2005/09 ETC Permit No: 97/2014 The Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) is looking for persons who are highly motivated and committed to work with persons with disability. The selected persons will be employed as job coaches to provide training, assistance and support to persons with different disabilities. They will be employed on a definite contract of employment basis under the ESF funded project, 'Supported and sheltered employment training for disadvantaged groups including RDPs' till the end of June 2015. Through the Sheltered Employment Training activity, the Corporation will provide training to persons with different disabilities with the aim of improving their employability. The programme will include practical training in various sectors of the labour market and visits to different places of work. Applicants must be in possession of at least three 'O' levels (from grades 1 to 5 or A to C) and one year work experience with persons with disability, OR an MCAST Foundation Certificate in Care or equivalent in terms of level and course content, OR at least three years work experience with persons with disability. Applicants must be IT literate and can communicate well both in Maltese and in English. Work experience must be supported by a letter of reference or by a copy of the ETC Engagement Form. The names of two referees should be submitted with the letter of application. Interested persons should send an application letter, together with a detailed CV and a copy of their qualifications, by registered mail or by hand to: The Department Manager People Management & Corporate Services Employment and Training Corporation Head Office Ħal Far BBG 3000 Applicants must quote the code HR/19/15 in the application letter. Applications are to reach the Corporation by not later than Wednesday 18th March 2015. All applications will be acknowledged and will be treated in the strictest confidence. CV's sent by applicants will be kept by ETC for future reference. Those individuals who do not wish to have their CV kept by ETC should send a letter to the above address and will receive their CV back following the recruitment exercise. Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life The Project is part-nanced by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-nancing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your future A total of $2 million is being ear- marked in American counter-ter- rorism funds for 2016 for the In- ternational Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law in Malta to train police, prosecutors, parliamentar- ians, judges, and prison officials from North and West Africa and the Middle East, on preventing and responding to terrorist activity and other security challenges. The US State Department's Coun- terterrorism Engagement with Allies (CTE) funds are used to promote effective counterterrorism policies and programmes for foreign govern- ment officials and civil society. The United States will also forward Malta an additional $100,000 to en- hance efforts to build the Maritime Safety and Security Training Centre and continue teaching US standard competencies in search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and op- erational maritime law. The money is additional to another $100,000 in congressional requests for military education and training that is received by the Armed Forces of Malta from the US. Malta remains an important US partner in addressing regional secu- rity concerns, having retained its sta- tus as member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace since March 2008. In its congressional budgetary jus- tification, the State Department's office of foreign assistance said that Labour's election in 2013 did not change "the largely bipartisan po- litical consensus for maintaining Malta's constitutionally-mandated neutrality". International Military Education and Training (IMET) is the primary means of US-Maltese military co- operation. IMET-funded courses and training events expose Maltese defence leadership and members of the AFM to US military training, doctrine, and values. IMET activities build capacity on maritime interdiction capabilities, with most courses conducted at military institutions in the United States. The United States embassy reviews IMET programmes, the key indica- tor being whether returning IMET graduates occupy key leadership po- sitions in the AFM. Muscat targets pensions for workers who depend on part-time employment US proposes $2 million in counter-terrorism funds for Malta institute Joseph Muscat addressing the Ghaqda Nisa Laburisti with (left) Minister Helena Dalli and Equality Commissioner Renee Laiviera