Description
Country
Focus area
This instrument will help to address the shortage of skills in the construction industry. It also aims to improve quality standards, health and safety practices and employment conditions in this sector. The policy instrument creates an official method of recognition for people that have worked in the construction industry and not had their technical knowledge recognised. Apart from this, the workers also benefit from training that will in turn lead to higher construction standards, including in health and safety as well as employment conditions. The Construction Industry Skill Card (CISC) is aimed at providing new skills to people already working in the construction industry.
Link
Reference/weblink
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
MINISTERIAL ORDER
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
The Construction Industry Skill Card (CISC) started being implemented in 2015 and is currently still in operation.
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
Alongside the LMSI tools being used, there are Skill certificates, which are awarded at various levels, namely apprenticeship, operator, craftsman, technician and professional. Assessments are also carried out through appraisals at accredited institutions, and existing operators can be assessed on site by an authorised body. At the same time, all applicants must attend a health and safety awareness course, where after the presentation of skill level certification and attendance to this course, the competent authority would issue the relevant skill card.
Policy area
To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
Funding
How it is funded?
Funded by national government
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Underqualification (individuals' qualifications/credentials are below their job's needs)
Skill underutilisation (individuals' skills are not well used in their jobs)
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
Skill gaps (worker's skills are below the level of proficiency required by their employers and jobs)
Skills obsolescence (some or all of an individual's skills are no longer relevant to the current employer or in the labour market generally)
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
Workers within the construction industry are incentivised to upgrade, modernize and develop their services to meet future challenges.
After having gained experience in this trade, adults are incentivised to have their skills recognised by means of this Skill Card.
As quality standards, health and safety practices and employment conditions are improved, more people are encouraged to (keep) work(ing) in this industry.
As the demand for appropriately skilled workers in this industry grows, this skill card helps to address shortages in this field.
Skills delivered
What types of skill does the initiative deliver?
More advanced digital skills
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
Skills forecasting
Through the Education, Training, Registration and Classification working group (which meets up on a regular basis), experts give priority to issues of (educational standards) concern in the industry.
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
Please select the most important options and explain how the labour market information (LMI) has been used (maximum 50 words)
Using the competence skills drawn up by the NCFHE for every trade at the various levels (most notably apprentice, operator, craftsman, technician and professional), suitable training is offered in order to ensure the competency of workers in the construction industry.
Assessments are also carried out through appraisals at accredited institutions, and existing operators can be assessed on site by an authorised body. At the same time, all applicants must attend a health and safety awareness course, where after the presentation of skill level certification and attendance of this course, the competent authority would issue the relevant skill card.
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National agency
The Building Industry Consultative Council
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
National ministry
The Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties through the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), the Ministry for Education and Employment through the National PES (Jobsplus) involved in expert discussions (therefore also providing advisory).
Training Providers
The Malta College for Art, Science and Technology (MCAST) involved in expert discussions (therefore also providing advisory).
Research centres, universities
The University of Malta (UOM) also involved in expert discussions (therefore also providing advisory).
Other
While the Building Industry Consultative Council is heading the project, there were a number of other stakeholders involved in expert discussions, including; the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE), the Malta College for Art, Science and Technology (MCAST), the University of Malta (UOM), the Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties through the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), the Ministry for Education and Employment through the National PES (Jobsplus), the Building Regulations Office (BRO), and the Department of Local Government. On a more specific level, the NCFHE took on the role of drawing up competence skills for every trade at the various levels, whilst Jobsplus facilitates the process for workers seeking to apply for a skill card.
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Adults in employment with upskilling potential
Other
The intended beneficiaries of this policy instrument are the workers in the construction industry, where they will benefit from added skills to match those of their, continuously-changing industry. The industry itself will also be a beneficiary through improvement in health and safety standards, employment conditions and higher quality.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
One of the factors that contributed to the success of the instrument was that electricians were already certified and could thus offer a certain level of standard that could be measured against when training other workers in the construction industry.
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
Indicators being used to measure the success of the CISC are the increase in productivity and income, and the decrease in work-related injuries and unfair competition for both workers and building contractors.
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
Yes
During the first year of implementing the policy instrument, a pilot project was carried out on four trades: tile layers, plasterers and painters, assistant electricians and plumbers. These trades were identified after research showed that local service providers in the tile-laying and decoration sectors are facing the most unfair competition from abusive service providers. December 2020 marked the end of the instrument's five-year transition period. A process is now ongoing to make CISC mandatory for all public procurement contracts. Cardholders will be requested to update their card on a regular basis (every 5 years), after having completed an up-to date Health and Safety awareness certificate as well as a CPD course in the particular trade covering innovations in the trade during the previous five years.
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
The instrument is still operational and therefore results are ongoing, however, both authorities and stakeholders alike have praised the creation of the CISC and the synergy this has created between health and safety awareness and the construction industry. Even though Local Governments, through the Government Department responsible, have direct interest in the issue, these have taken a larger role in organising small meetings as well as acting as a one stop shop, for those interested in the CISC.
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
As explained above, December 2020 marked the end of the instrument's five-year transition period. A process is now ongoing to make CISC mandatory for all public procurement contracts. Cardholders will be requested to update their card on a regular basis (every 5 years), after having completed an up-to date Health and Safety awareness certificate as well as a CPD course in the particular trade covering innovations in the trade during the previous five years.
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