https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1455 2026-08-25T07:22:56Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148638 Title: Crossing gendered pathways in vocational education and training : underrepresentation in engineering and care and implications for career guidance Abstract: Gender segregation within vocational education and training (VET) remains a persistent challenge in Malta, where women are significantly underrepresented in engineering pathways, and men in care-related fields. This study explores the motivations, experiences, and challenges of students who pursued gender-atypical pathways at MCAST, as well as the role of career guidance in shaping these choices. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on ten in-depth interviews with former MCAST students: five females from engineering programmes and five males from care-related programmes. The findings show that participation in non-traditional VET is shaped by a complex interaction of personal, social, cultural, and institutional factors. Personal interests, career aspirations, and prior exposure influenced participants’ gender-atypical choices; however, these decisions were made within contexts where family, peers, educational institutions, and wider social influences generally reinforced traditional gendered expectations. Consequently, participants often experienced heightened social and psychological pressure. They also reported several challenges, including limited representation, feelings of isolation, difficulties in securing apprenticeships or work placements, and both direct and subtle forms of discrimination in educational and workplace environments. Despite these challenges, participants demonstrated resilience, agency, and persistence throughout their educational journey. Career guidance was often perceived as too limited in scope and introduced too late to meaningfully challenge gender norms or influence students’ decision-making processes. In some cases, rather than disrupting traditional expectations, career guidance appeared to reinforce them. Overall, the study suggests that addressing gender imbalance in VET requires more than surface-level policy interventions. It calls for a deeper engagement with the intersectional structural and cultural barriers that continue to reproduce traditional gendered educational and career pathways. Description: M. LCGD(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148129 Title: Beyond perks : exploring strategic HR approaches to engagement and retention in Malta’s post-COVID iGaming workforce Abstract: The iGaming industry has become a cornerstone of Malta’s economy, contributing 7.1% to national Gross Value Added (GVA) and employing over 13,000 people (Malta Gaming Authority [MGA], 2024a). However, rapid growth, a saturated labour market, and growing global competition have created significant challenges for talent engagement and retention. This study examines the Human Resources (HR) strategies implemented by iGaming companies based in Malta to address these challenges, exploring their effectiveness, the influence of external pressures, and the shifts in employee expectations following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Using a qualitative, exploratory approach, eight in-depth interviews were conducted with HR leaders and C-level executives across the sector. Using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis Framework (2006), the findings are interpreted through Social Exchange Theory (SET), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and the Job DemandsResources (JD-R) model, revealing four core themes: external pressures (regulatory, market saturation, and rising cost of living and living conditions), work-life balance and well-being, changing employee priorities post-pandemic, and career development. The findings highlight that while financial incentives remain essential, they are no longer sufficient to secure long-term loyalty. Instead, sustainable retention increasingly depends on fostering autonomy, professional growth, and inclusive organisational cultures as engagement and retention drivers. Notable risks include salary inflation, rapid promotions without adequate skills, and talent loss to competitors including unregulated operators offering higher pay but less stability. By applying established engagement and retention theories within the unique socioeconomic and regulatory context of Malta’s multicultural, high-mobility iGaming workforce, this research addresses a gap in literature on these topics. The findings provide practical recommendations for HR professionals and policymakers in similar fast-paced, skill-intensive industries and contribute to the theoretical understanding of engagement and retention under conditions of high competition and external volatility. Description: B. WHR(Hons)(Melit.) 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147598 Title: Working life country profile : Malta Authors: Grech, Louis; Fiorini, Luke Anthony Abstract: This chapter provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis of Malta’s evolving employment ecosystem and working life, tracking a decade of unprecedented macroeconomic expansion and institutional adaptation. Between 2012 and 2022, Malta experienced remarkable economic growth, marked by a 43.31% increase in GDP per capita, an employment rate climbing to 80%, and a dramatic 24-percentage-point surge in female labor market participation. Against this backdrop of rapid expansion and an influx of foreign labor, this study examines the structural mechanics of Malta’s decentralized industrial relations framework, governed by the Employment and Industrial Relations Act (EIRA) 2002. While trade union membership grew in absolute terms, union density experienced a 16% decline, highlighting a widening gap in private-sector collective bargaining coverage, which remains heavily reliant on company-level negotiations. The chapter evaluates the critical role of social dialogue and tripartite coordination through the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD), demonstrating how these institutional mechanisms successfully navigated the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the analysis delves into statutory employee entitlements, dispute resolution systems, and the shifting paradigms of workplace well-being. It highlights a significant transition from traditional physical occupational health and safety concerns to the mitigation of modern psychosocial risks, as well as institutional initiatives aimed at closing the gender pay gap and correcting persistent skill mismatches. Ultimately, this chapter contextualizes Malta’s labour trajectory within broader European trends, offering critical insights into how a small island state balances flexible economic growth with robust institutional protections. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147586 Title: Malta : developments in working life 2024 Authors: Fiorini, Luke Anthony Abstract: This report examines the shifting landscape of Maltese employment, industrial relations, and working conditions throughout 2024. The major findings highlight the country's strategic responses to macroeconomic pressures, detailing how the government and social partners utilised national social dialogue institutions to manage high inflation through updated Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) and targeted fiscal interventions. Furthermore, the paper tracks pivotal developments in collective bargaining structures, documents regional industrial action and labour disputes, and analyses evolving legislative frameworks regarding flexible working arrangements and working time regulations aimed at addressing work–life balance demands. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z