Malta - National eSkills Strategy

Overview

The National eSkills Strategy 2022–2025 establishes Malta’s national policy framework for developing digital skills across society, education and the labour market. It was prepared under the aegis of the eSkills Malta Foundation and launched as part of a cluster of national digital strategies presented at a government conference in November 2022. The Strategy aligns with the EU’s Path to the Digital Decade targets and sets out a four-dimensional model of goals, outcomes, strategic pillars and governance enablers. For an official overview and summary hosted on the EU platform, see the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform entry: Malta - National eSkills Strategy 2022-2025. The Strategy emphasises inclusion, ethics and employability while providing a roadmap of recommended actions for the 2022–2025 period.

Definitions

The Strategy defines core concepts used through its framework: "digital skills" (ranging from basic digital literacy to advanced ICT professional competences); "digital inclusion" (measures ensuring access and use across demographic groups); "reskilling/upskilling" (targeted changes to workforce competencies); "ICT professionals" (specialists working in ICT roles); and "governance enablers" (mechanisms such as benchmarking, funding coordination and stakeholder collaboration that support implementation). Definitions mirror EU terminology used by the European Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs and the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and are oriented to practical programmatic delivery rather than creating new legal definitions.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The Strategy assigns coordination and implementation roles to a multi‑stakeholder national coalition chaired and coordinated by the eSkills Malta Foundation (now integrated into the Malta Digital Innovation Authority). Governance enablers include leadership and shared responsibility across central government ministries (notably the Ministry for the Economy and the Ministry for Education), education providers (University of Malta, MCAST), industry partners and civil society. The Strategy calls for a national coordination mechanism to oversee action plans, monitor progress against targets, align funding and reduce duplication. For the Foundation’s published materials and resources see eSkills Malta Foundation - Strategy 2022-2025 and for the subsequent institutional update see the MDIA press release on integration: MDIA: eSkills integration press release.

Key Focus Areas

The Strategy identifies four strategic pillars: Education (teacher training, curriculum evolution, digital pedagogies); Society (digital inclusion, eSafety, lifelong learning); Workforce (reskilling and upskilling, SMEs adoption, labour market matching); and ICT professionals (talent pipeline, career promotion, advanced skills development). Cross‑cutting themes include ethical use of technology, gender balance in ICT roles, and a focus on future skills such as data literacy, cybersecurity awareness, and AI literacy. Actions range from creating targeted training pathways and certification streams to awareness campaigns and employer incentives for workforce training. The Strategy also stresses alignment with sectoral needs (e.g., finance, health, public administration) and supports initiatives that make it easier for employers to find and hire ICT talent. For context on cross-cutting digital strategies refer to Malta’s Digital Education Strategy 2024–2030 summary on the EU platform: Digital Education Strategy 2024-2030.

Implementation Framework

Implementation relies on coordinated actions delivered through programmes, projects and funding instruments. The Strategy proposes a multi‑tier implementation model: national coordination (strategy stewardship and monitoring), sectoral engagement (education, industry, public sector), and operational delivery (training providers, universities, VET centres, private training organisations). Funding is expected from national budgets and EU programmes (e.g., ESF, Digital Europe) where applicable. The eSkills Malta Foundation was the central coordinator during the strategy’s life cycle; following government decisions published in late 2024, the Foundation’s activities were incorporated into MDIA from 1 January 2025, intending to streamline delivery and better align skills activities with innovation and regulatory initiatives (see MDIA press release).

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Strategy prescribes regular monitoring using agreed indicators (e.g., basic digital skills coverage, share of ICT specialists in employment, gender balance metrics, participation rates in reskilling programmes). The Strategy envisages periodic reporting, benchmarking against EU targets (Digital Decade indicators), and use of the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform as a repository for country-level reporting and updates. The monitoring model emphasises iterative review so that actions can be updated to address emerging skills gaps, evolving technologies (AI/cybersecurity) and labour market signals.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

The Strategy is a policy and programme roadmap and does not establish criminal sanctions or administrative fines. Consequences for non‑delivery are operational rather than punitive: participating entities that fail to meet cooperation obligations may lose eligibility for certain coordinated funding streams, priority access to government programmes, or inclusion in recognised national initiatives. Any formal enforcement measures would arise from separate sectoral regulations (e.g., education accreditation, public procurement or funding agreements). The Strategy recommends transparent grievance and escalation procedures within coordination bodies to resolve disputes among partners.

Relationship to Other Instruments

The Strategy is intended to operate alongside and align with other national digital and sectoral strategies: Malta’s Digital Decade roadmap, the National AI Strategy, the Digital Education Strategy 2024–2030, Malta’s Cybersecurity/National Cyber Strategy and sectoral roadmaps (finance, health). It explicitly references coordination to avoid duplication and to amplify synergies (for example, teacher training aligned with national education strategy; AI literacy coordinated with AI 2030 initiatives). See relevant strategy pages on the EU platform for summaries and linkage: Digital Skills and Jobs Platform - National Initiatives.

International Alignment

The Strategy aligns with EU targets (Digital Decade 2030) and EU coalitions (European Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs). It references European competence frameworks (e.g., DigComp) and seeks to leverage EU funding programmes and best practices. International alignment also informs content (e.g., cybersecurity training aligned to international standards) and benchmarking against EU indicators reported via the Digital Skills and Jobs Platform (Digital Skills and Jobs Platform).

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References