Coping with training and motherhood : a study of women participating in programmes organised by the Employment and Training Corporation

Abstract

The current Maltese scenario is experiencing an increasingly Europeanised and globalised economy. This setting requires the emergence of an alternative ideology than the one ruling the islands when still in the earliest stages of the post colonial era. There is a reshuffling and reorganisation in most institutions, preparing for the eventual membership in the European Union. Consequently, education is also being redefined, in terms of the current inclinations. This dissertation will try to determine whether or not the programmes of the Employment and Training Corporation - Malta's only state-sponsored adult training agency - are providing the female participants with the skills needed for working and surviving in a globalised economy. The twenty participants in this study will present their difficulties, motivations and strategies in coping with their dual role as mothers and learners. The study indicates that much more must be done in the adult education field, this being a key tool in the restructuring process needed to strengthen Maltese society in the globalised world.