Some 250 Culture Sector employees to benefit from €1 million project

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici together with Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds and Social Dialogue Aaron Farrugia have announced a 1 Million Euro project entitled ‘Create 2020 – investing in culture and creative capacity skills in Malta’s Public Sector’.

Minister Bonnici commended the Create 2020 project, and highlighted its importance, especially “since it will further support our local culture sector, by adding on to what is already being done. This project aims at strengthening the role and capacity of these Government departments through training, with the aim of improving the efficiency of these entities to provide a better public service delivery in the field of the Culture and Creative Sector.”

“Through the likes of such a project we are contributing to our country’s cultural strategy by underlining the importance and increase in professionalism within the sector, a sector which has strongly gained traction as a contributor towards economic growth,” Minister Bonnici continued.

This project, which is co-financed by the European So- cial Fund has as its overall objective to provide specialised training for the public sector employees at Arts Council Malta, the Culture Directorate, Public Cultural Organisations, and the Department of Local Government.

The Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds and Social Dialogue Aaron Farrugia said that this project is financed by the European Social Fund, which is being used to strengthen the present and future workforce, for the current and upcoming industries.

It is for this purpose that funds are being allocated for the improvement of academic education as well as vocational training, as €11 million worth of EU funds was allocated to this sector in the past few weeks.

Today, yet another educational project in the area of culture and creativity was launched. “These are EU funds which will provide skills and new opportunities to those who work in this industry and provide backstage service. The funds will also go towards mobility study grants, leadership, and sharing of best practices which the Maltese people will benefit from, while also strengthening the local touristic product,” Farrugia said.

The project is divided into three components, namely the Training in Cultural Strategy Development for Local Councils and Regional Committees, a Specialised Skills Programme in the Culture and Creative Sectors for Public Sector Employees and Cultural Leadership for Middle and Senior Management.