A National Skills Strategy and Action Plan for Malta

Executive summary

OECD–Malta collaboration on the National Skills Strategy and Action Plan

Over the past two years, the OECD worked closely with the Government of Malta, particularly the National Skills Council and Transport Malta, to develop a National Skills Strategy and Action Plan with tailored recommendations to strengthen the country’s skills system.

The project was funded by the European Union through the Technical Support Instrument and implemented in co‑operation with the European Commission. The project combined desk research, data analysis and extensive stakeholder engagement with a wide range of national stakeholders. This collaborative process resulted in policy recommendations that provide strategic directions to improve skills development, use, and governance in Malta.

This report reflects the recommendations developed by the OECD ahead of Malta's national public consultation in April-May 2026. The Maltese authorities are continuing to consult stakeholders and, as a result, are further refining the National Skills Strategy and Action Plan as part of the national adoption process.

In parallel to the National Skills Strategy, a sectoral strategy and action plan were developed for the maritime sector, translating national priorities into concrete, sector-specific actions. This approach could serve as a model for future sectoral skills strategies in Malta. Moreover, the report and its findings offers valuable insights for OECD Member countries on strengthening skills systems through both national and sector-specific approaches.

Key findings and opportunities for Malta’s skills system

Skills are central to Malta’s ambition to build a more innovative, sustainable and inclusive economy. As global megatrends – digitalisation, the net-zero transition and demographic change – reshape labour markets, a strong skills system will support productivity, competitiveness and social cohesion.

Malta is well placed to strengthen its approach to skills. Skills policy features prominently in several national strategies, including Malta Vision 2050 and the Smart Specialisation Strategy, which emphasise the need to equip individuals with future‑ready skills and to support transitions across education, work and sectors. The strategy also arrives at a time of strong labour demand and an ongoing shift towards more knowledge‑intensive, digital and higher-value economic activities – creating an opportunity to better align workforce skills with the needs of growing digital, green and higher-value sector.

By building on this momentum, the National Skills Strategy provides a foundation for a more responsive, forward-looking and integrated skills system aligned with Malta’s long-term development goals. It offers a shared framework to align priorities, strengthen collaboration across stakeholders, and translate strategic objectives into concrete actions.

Priority topics and recommendations

The report sets out 30 recommendations across eight priority areas, forming a comprehensive and actionable policy framework:

1. Identifying skills needs through better assessment, forecasting and foresight: Malta would benefit from a more co‑ordinated and forward-looking approach to skills intelligence. Recommendations focus on establishing a Malta Skills Observatory, developing a unified national methodology for skills assessment and anticipation (SAA), and extending analyses to sectoral and firm levels to better capture emerging skills needs.

2. Improving the dissemination of skills information and strengthening career guidance: Building on already strong career guidance services, Malta can further improve access and use of skills information. Recommendations include creating a centralised, user-friendly skills intelligence platform, publishing a regular Employment and Skills Barometer, expanding access to lifelong career guidance services, and strengthening parental engagement in guidance processes.

3. Empowering educators and school leaders for future‑ready education: Teachers and school leaders are central to equipping learners with future‑ready skills. Recommendations include introducing tools such as individual learning accounts or training vouchers for educators, developing competency frameworks, strengthening leadership training, promoting peer learning, and enhancing the attractiveness of the teaching profession.

4. Equipping learners of all ages with skills for the future: Malta is strengthening the development of digital, green and transversal skills, but further efforts are needed across the life course. Recommendations focus on integrating green skills into curricula, promoting VET pathways, supporting advanced and specialised qualifications, strengthening quality assurance systems, and expanding opportunities for non-formal and informal learning.

5. Encouraging and incentivising adult participation in learning: Despite progress, participation in adult learning remains uneven. Recommendations aim to promote lifelong learning through a comprehensive national campaign, strengthen financial and non-financial incentives – particularly in areas of skills shortage – and expand the recognition of prior learning and validation of non-formal and informal learning.

6. Incentivising employers to stimulate learning in their organisations: Employers are key actors in skills development but face constraints in providing training. Recommendations focus on strengthening workplace learning – particularly for SMEs and micro‑enterprises – through practical tools and support, exploring training-related legislation (e.g. training leave), and improving access to training expertise by better matching between enterprises and trainers.

7. Making better use of available domestic and foreign talent: Maximising the use of skills is essential for productivity and competitiveness. Recommendations aim to support firms in adopting productivity-enhancing practices, strengthen management and innovation capabilities, improve validation and certification of skills (including transversal skills), and better understand and address brain drain through targeted analysis and policy responses.

8. Strengthening the governance of the skills system: Effective governance is essential for co‑ordination and implementation. Recommendations focus on strengthening co‑ordination mechanisms – particularly through thematic committees of the Smart Specialisation Strategy – and establishing robust monitoring and evaluation processes to keep the strategy responsive and effective over time.

For the maritime sector specifically, this report presents an additional five strategic recommendations and ten actions, addressing challenges across all stages of the skills pipeline. Together, they aim to enhance Malta’s capacity to systematically monitor, anticipate, and respond to emerging skills needs in the sector.

From strategy to implementation

This report also sets out a detailed implementation plan for the recommendations, including timelines, roles, indicative costs, and potential funding sources. The plan is structured across three phases and is complemented by a monitoring and evaluation framework. By implementing these recommendations, Malta can strengthen its capacity to respond to emerging challenges, support sustainable economic growth, and ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to develop and use their skills effectively.