The Malta FA participates in Skills4Sports
The Malta FA is one of the partners of the Skills4Sports project whose aim is to increase the employability of NEETs (young people who neither study nor work) by addressing the skills gap in the sports sector. Under the umbrella of the European Union ‘ENI CBC MED’ program and with a total of eight organizations involved, the project has a duration of two and a half years and a budget of almost 3 million euro, 2.6 million of which are granted by the EU.
More and more young people neither study nor work. After completing compulsory studies, these young people have considerable difficulties accessing an increasingly demanding labour market. They are the socalled NEETs (not in education, employment or training). In the Mediterranean region, youth unemployment doubles adult unemployment.
According to the International Labour Organization, young people in the southern Mediterranean are three times more likely to be out of work. In contrast, prominent economic sectors, such as the sports industry, face challenges in finding the right skills for their growing needs when recruiting employees.
The Skills4Sports project, of which the Malta FA, through its Football and Social Responsibility department is part of, together with seven other organisations, precisely aims to increase the employability of these young people in the Mediterranean area.
The purpose is to create new curricula in professions related to sports (merchandising, marketing, administration, event management).
An initial analysis, based on the existing skills gap between jobseekers and companies’ requirements, will lead to e-tools (e-learning platform, mobile app and social-media app) aimed at young people.
The Strategic Alliance for Skills4Sports network will also be created, aimed at agents involved in the sport field. All this must ensure the reduction of the concordance of requirements and skills between supply and demand, as well as the creation of new opportunities for young people who are currently neither studying nor working.
Moreover, we want to create a support network for the development of sports professionals, with the participation of stakeholders of the quadruple helix: government, society, education and the private sector of the Mediterranean region, in order to promote good practices and innovative policies for the employment of these young people.
Thus, Skills4Sports will increase the capabilities of this segment of the population so that they can get better jobs that offer them even more opportunities. As a result, the project is expected to reach 200 employment contracts thanks to the adjustment of skills between the current supply and demand in the sector.
The transnational status of the sports industry will help to pursue careers across borders, including international events, mobility of employees and multicultural working environment with the support of stakeholders involved in the Strategic Alliance for Skills4Sports.
In addition, the project must materialize in obtaining 9 new curricula for sports professionals, 3 electronic tools for elearning and gamification, 240 training days for final beneficiaries and 1 Strategic Alliance for the Skills4Sports.
Under the umbrella of ENI CBC MED programme, this strategic alliance is made by the Development Agency of Evia SA, from Greece, which will coordinate the project; TREK Development of Infrastructures and Services SA, also from Greece; the Malta Football Association; the International Cooperation South South, from Italy; the Salfit Development Association, from Palestine; The Palestine: Sports for Life, also from Palestine; and the Rene Moawad Foundation, from Lebanon. There is also the UEFA involvement, through Luca Nicola and Valerio Giovanni, who showed their support for the project and commitment to its dissemination.
The final beneficiaries of the project will be 1,200 young people who are not currently studying or working and who will be trained in professional skills for the sports industry, but also training organizations, entrepreneurs and other actors in the sports industry, public authorities and NGOs and other social organizations.
The Skills4Sports project has a total budget of 2,922,747.80€ with an EU contribution of 2,630,473.02€ (90%).
ENI CBC MED (Cooperating across borders in the Mediterranean) is a program of the European Union that aims to promote a fair, equitable and sustainable economic, social and territorial development, which can advance in crossborder integration and enhance the territories of the participating countries.
You can find more information at this link: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/skills4sports
Note: This document has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union within the framework of the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Program.
The content of this document is the sole responsibility of the Malta Football Association and in no case can it be considered to reflect the position of the European Union or the management structures of the program.